Company Culture: With the COVID lockdown situation remaining uncertain in Canada, the 13 team members at PromoPlace (asi/144084) in Ontario continue to communicate regularly while in a hybrid situation. The reality in Canada has compelled the company to double down on its flexibility and intentional engagement efforts, which employees say they appreciate the most. “It’s a fun place to work,” says Executive Director Tim Feijer. “We always have been. We rarely say no to someone’s request for a day off. We know life happens, and there’s mutual respect among our team members. We all get along and enjoy working together, and we get the job done with precision.” Employees scored the company well across a number of areas on the Best Places to Work survey, including flexibility, reasonable workloads, cooperative colleagues and overall satisfaction.

COVID Changes: Before COVID, the company was communal office-based, and Feijer is anticipating a return to that. For now, 80% of the company’s staff come to the office for most of the week. With warnings from officials in Canada that families should be prepared for virtual learning days with little notice, PromoPlace has been flexible with remote work. “We lean toward in office,” says Feijer. “It’s our ideal, especially from a communications standpoint. Remote just isn’t the same. We let people do what they need to do and we’re making it work, but we prefer in person.”

For now, the team enjoys in-person team-building when possible; last year, they visited an escape room, threw axes, enjoyed BBQ at Feijer’s house and went river rafting. “It’s been a little harder during COVID, but we want to bring people together and make memories,” Feijer says. “We bring in pizza and sandwiches to the office on last Fridays. People love that. We’re planning more events in the coming months.”

Parting Tip: When hiring, trust your instincts. “We try to go with our gut,” says Feijer. “In the past we’ve regretted not doing that. But you learn through experience. General attitude and teachability are more important than skills and a fancy resume. You can teach skills, but the person has to be a teachable person with the right attitude.”