The People Who Make a Place

How the little things people do make a workplace feel like somewhere you belong.

Every workplace has a few people who seem to make everything a little better.

They're the ones organizing the holiday parties, collecting donations for a local charity, or staying up far too late baking cookies for their coworkers. They're also the people who throw themselves into every workplace challenge, recruit half their department to participate and become surprisingly competitive when there's a trophy involved. Most of these things aren't in anyone's job description, and that's part of what makes them special.

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of getting to know some wonderful people while writing employee features, producing internal newsletters, and helping organize community and workplace campaigns. Some of my favourite moments have come from watching employees embrace an idea and run with it, often taking a simple activity much further than anyone expected.

There's something infectious about that kind of enthusiasm. One person gets involved, encourages a few coworkers to join in, and before long you've got teams comparing results, sharing photos and doing everything they can to win bragging rights. The friendly rivalries and occasional ridiculous lengths people will go to are often what make these campaigns so memorable.

Culture is what people actually do

Companies spend a lot of time talking about culture. There are values statements, mission statements, and carefully chosen words about teamwork, community and belonging. Those things have their place, but I've always thought the clearest picture of a workplace comes from watching how people treat one another.

A team volunteering together tells you something about what matters to them. So does an employee who goes out of their way to welcome someone new, or a group of coworkers who turn a simple workplace challenge into a fiercely contested competition.

I've seen how much these moments can mean to people, particularly when employees work in different locations or rarely have the opportunity to meet face-to-face. Sharing their stories through newsletters, employee features and social media can help people feel connected to a larger team and introduce them to coworkers they might otherwise never know. And sometimes, a little friendly competition gives people something fun to talk about that has absolutely nothing to do with work.

Give the good people some attention

For businesses, these stories offer a genuine way to show the human side of their organization. Customers get to know the people behind the products and services, prospective employees get a glimpse of the workplace, and existing employees see that their contributions matter.

I've always enjoyed this part of marketing because it gives me an excuse to get to know people and discover what makes a workplace tick. The people who make a workplace special aren't always the ones with the biggest titles or the most visible roles. They're the people who bring a little extra energy, kindness and personality to the everyday.

And when you start paying attention to those little things, you realize they're a pretty big part of what makes a company worth talking about.