For the last few years at Doodledo, we’ve been focusing on building a company culture that centres around a set of key values. 

You can see them all on our About page, but one of our favourite values is ‘People before projects’. It means that, above all else, we hire good people with good skills, and that working for good people is as important to us as working for good brands. We know that to make that value a reality, we need to be intentional about really caring for the growth and development of our team members as well as our clients. 

Why a happy team equals happy clients 

Agencynomics talks about how a ‘happy team equals a happy client’ and that it is absolutely our philosophy. If your team is happy, then they’ll be interacting with clients in a positive way. They’ll think of solutions to solve problems as they arise, go the extra mile to provide excellent customer service, and be more empathetic and understanding towards clients. Happy employees also tend to have better communication skills, which can enhance their ability to build strong relationships internally and externally. It’s why we take employee wellbeing so seriously at Doodledo!

A positive company culture doesn’t just make work more enjoyable and productive, it also creates a sense of belonging, purpose, and fulfilment. And we’ve found that when our team feels that they’re part of a supportive, flexible and inclusive work environment, they’re more likely to feel satisfied with their jobs.

We believe that everyone wants to be part of a company that values their work and recognises their contributions. And we actively promote collaboration, communication, and teamwork to make Doodledo that company.

How to build a great culture

Doodledo has been running for more than 15 years and over that time we’ve built a great culture by hiring great people. During the past few years, we’ve looked more intentionally at what makes a healthy culture and how we can all contribute towards that culture as a team. 

We’ve done this in a number of ways:

• Promoting healthy habits
• Providing a safe working environment
• Encouraging a good work-life balance
• Leading by example
• Educating the team
• Regular away days and socials

All of these have created what we believe is a strong and positive culture at Doodledo, but there are some key ideas we’ve implemented that the team have benefitted from the most. 

Implementing SMART goals

One of these key ideas is structured and measured one-to-ones. While we already completed quarterly one-to-ones focused on well-being and general progression, those meetings became much more productive for each team member when we implemented
SMART goals. 

Why? Because they give each of us more clarity around job functions, and accountability around areas for growth. One of our favourite phrases at Doodledo is 'Clarity is kindness' and helping the team know what’s expected of them, and when, is key for productivity and effectiveness.

Finally, from a management perspective, SMART goals help us to see where individual obstacles for growth are, and what systems or processes we need to implement to support a member of our team to reach their goals.

Weekly Culture Learning and Skill Sharing

Our weekly culture learning and skill sharing sessions are an opportunity for everyone to learn something new. Last year, we focused on cultural building blocks; helping the team to develop a growth mindset, how to give and receive feedback, and how to have brave conversations and more. This year, we’re giving each team member the opportunity to share a skill or a passion by presenting something that’s been inspiring them recently.. 

Since starting these sessions in early 2022, they’ve helped build a culture of growth and development among the team. They promote continuous learning, collaboration, innovation and a positive organisational culture by proving that learning is lifelong. And by discovering new ways of thinking and understanding, we achieve better career outcomes for each member of the team and Doodledo as a business.  

What the Doodledo team really thinks

We’re proud to have been nominated at the 2023 British HR Awards for the L&D Initiative of the Year. Our efforts at providing a positive, welcoming culture are reflected in our Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), and we score above industry benchmarks for aspects of working life such as job satisfaction, team wellbeing, and relationship building.

The Doodledo team has given brilliant feedback to help us, as a company, to learn, improve and develop. And we couldn’t be happier that their feedback has meant we’ve been recognised alongside a range of fantastic UK companies.

Even though we’ve been more intentional in our approach towards building a great company culture in recent years, we’re not perfect. There are plenty of areas across which we’ll continue to try to do better for our team in order to make Doodledo the best place to work.

Congratulations to Apadmi; Arctoris Ltd; Brewhouse & Kitchen; Daisy Communications; Limited; Focus Group; Seven Resourcing; Vendigital; Village Hotels; and VIOOH for their nominations in the L&D Initiative category.

‍The British HR Awards take place on Wednesday 22nd March, 2023. Stay tuned to our social channels to find out if we’ve been successful!