When it comes to “perks” of the job, one Toronto-based company has been making headlines for years for their perk-filled corporate culture.
Employees at Klick Inc. already enjoy things like free meals, complimentary morning yoga, and holiday gifts like the seriously comfy Casper mattresses. But when asked what would really make them happy, they said puppies, tacos, and ice cream sundae stations.
So, that’s exactly what they got.
In March on United Nations’ International Day of Happiness, Klick Inc. surprised employees and unleashed a little workplace fun by welcoming dozens of adorable adoptable husky puppies to its downtown Toronto office. The puppy visit was in response to an employee poll that asked “Klicksters” what would make them “more happy today” in the workplace.
Nearly 25 per cent of those polled reported that bringing puppies to the office (or their own dogs) would bring them joy; over 20 per cent said they would love more free food and drink, like gourmet cupcakes, ice cream, and barista-grade coffee; 13 per cent put surprise extra vacation time at the top of their happy list; and 10 per cent said getting free tickets for cultural attractions or travel would be more than well-received. Other top responses included getting in-office manicures and salon treatments, formal afternoon tea service, a ‘Taco Tuesday’ lunch, a make-your-own-sundae-bar, hourly draws for prizes like Raptors/Leafs tickets and an NYC weekend trip for two, and doing more corporate philanthropy.
In addition to the adoptable puppies, on International Day of Happiness, Klick Inc. employees also enjoyed a taco lunch, a fully loaded ice cream sundae station that cut no corners in the toppings department, and an espresso bar. Furthermore, Klick also donated $5 to its charity of the month, The Shoebox Project (in support of local women’s shelters), every time an employee posted a happiness quote or happy photo of themselves on their intranet tagged with #HappyDay.
Established in 1997, Klick Inc. has been consistently recognized as a leading Great Place to Work, Best Workplace for Women, Best Employer, Employee-Recommended Workplace, Fastest Growing Technology Company, and Best Managed Company (no big deal, right?). Offering their insight on building a company as successful as Kick Inc. has become, Klick’s co-founders wrote the New York Times Bestseller The Decoded Company, the award-winning book on how to use data to empower and engage employees (you may want to drop a copy on your boss’s desk).
Making headlines most recently, Klick even held an event in New York City, MUSE, where the guest of honour was no other than Michelle Obama. MUSE features remarkable speakers, captivating performances, and cutting-edge health technology installations to spark important conversations and generate new possibilities in health, with past speakers that have included Margaret Atwood, Arianna Huffington, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Co-Founder Pat Quinn, and Boston Marathon survivor/amputee rights advocate Adrianne Haslet.
Klick Inc. also hosts a ton of other events for employees and their families throughout the year, and their annual over-the-top (in the best way possible) holiday video has gone viral more than once, even catching the attention of CNN. Klick Inc. employees are even rewarded for their work with “Klick it Forward” credits, which they can donate to their favourite charities. To bring the program full-circle, the company sponsors philanthropic trips, sending employees to build schools and hospitals in Rwanda, Kenya, Ecuador, Tanzania and India.
“Klick’s culture has been 20 years in the making but one thing that hasn’t changed is our belief that if you put your people first and give them the tools and environment to do awesome work, everything will take care of itself,” Klick CEO and Co-Founder Leerom Segal has said.