Changemaker portrait: Geneviève from designstripe

In order to inspire you to create inclusive, balanced, diverse, and innovative workspaces (in short, it's great), we thought it would be a pretty good idea to present portraits of changemakers who eat innovation for breakfast. 

We start the series with the presentation of Geneviève (Jenny for those who know her) from the company designstripe.

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What’s your hell yes? - The first thing you look for when you’re job hunting.‍

PEOPLE. It’s all about the people! For real, surrounding myself with people who understand my value, see my potential, use my strengths, and allow me to thrive is essential.

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‍What’s your hell no? - What would make you say no without hesitation to a job.‍

Wow, good question. There are several “layers.” The first is the impact on the planet and society. If the company contributes to a problem that conflicts with my values, I could never work there. Then, the lack of flexibility. If I have to follow too many rules (physical office without a work-from-home option, dress code, fixed working hours, etc.), that's a big no for me. Finally, the team. If I’m not inspired by my team, my colleagues, my superiors, I could never work there. 

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What is your personal impact in the company? Ex: What do you do concretely to improve your company’s culture?‍

I’m lucky to have (in my opinion) the best job in the world, which is to be responsible for creating a work environment and culture that allows my team to thrive and be the best version of themselves. I was employee #1 in the company, responsible for Culture & Talent. From day one, that has been my mandate and my vocation. Here are some concrete actions that I take for my team: 

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1- Allow them to develop their personal introspection and be aware of their strengths & the impact they can have on the company (strength-based culture, Clifton Strength Assessment, colleague meetings ) 

2- Put in place values that guide their actions and decisions daily (we have solid values since the company's inception) and the team contributes to the evolution of these values. (workshop on our values, weekly survey via Officevibe, in-person interview)

3- Support them in their professional development (informal mentorship, bi-monthly coaching, daily feedback culture, tracking their progress in their role)

4- Provide them with tools regarding their well-being (ongoing training on the science of well-being, workshops, team challenges, sharing of knowledge and tools)

5- Create a transparent environment where they feel comfortable expressing any potential blockers they may encounter (daily standup on Slack, Officevibe questions, guided questionnaire on transparent feedback, etc)

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What is your favorite working condition?‍

The fact of being a 100% “asynchronous” team, distributed all over the world and focused on well-being. I cheated... I shared 3 concepts, but they all coexist! 

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I work from wherever I want, whenever I want. This summer, I moved to British Columbia with my boyfriend (we've been living there for 8 months), and I worked from my van during the road trip. I’m on a new “timezone” (3 hours ahead of Montreal) and it has only made my work more productive since I’ve integrated outdoor activities into my daily routine. 

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We all work on a 24-hour cycle, so we are never in an immediate “rush.” I can always plan my day the night before, and it won’t be disrupted by last-minute “rushes.” I thus protect my precious time for my well-being activities and manage to honor them, as we all work on this same cycle and encourage each other to take time to recharge our batteries. 

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What is your employer’s most original responsible practice?‍

That’s me! I don’t want to brag, far from it, but I admit I’m quite proud of my vacation policy. Here’s why. You know, in startups, we work hard, a lot, and often relentlessly. When you’re told “take a vacation,” you hesitate, you feel bad, you’re often the only one who can do your job (we’re a small team, especially at the beginning) so even when you go on vacation, you have a slight tinge of guilt.

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You check your emails, you go on Slack, IN SHORT you don’t disconnect. For me, that’s THE WORST, because you’re not actually enjoying it, and then you don’t associate your vacation with a good time. For me, it’s super important that my team takes vacations. Real ones. That they disconnect. They are my Olympic team; I need them to be rested, healthy, and happy. I can’t afford to have a burnt out, tired, and alienated team. SO I’ve implemented a vacation bonus.

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Once a year, when you take your first week of vacation completely and 100% disconnected (5 consecutive days, without being online), you receive an extra $1000 USD in your next paycheck. Hell yeah! Your employer wants you to take vacations and savor them so much that they pay you for it. The message is clear and very well received; the team genuinely feels good about taking time to unwind, and on top of that, they can treat themselves if they want and make that first week of vacation memorable. :) 

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Article written by Alexandra, B Corp Consultant (she/her/hers)