When we founded Phobio in 2010, we were on a mission to simplify complicated trade-ins and offer a better customer experience. As we built the business and expanded our staff, something really cool happened along the way: we also created an awesome place to work. Over the last decade, we’ve cultivated a strong culture here at Phobio. 

Culture is so much more than your company’s personality. It impacts every single aspect of your business. It’s what attracts top talent to your company, and it’s what makes them want to stay. It influences your team’s level of productivity and creativity, their risk of burnout and their overall job satisfaction—all factors that can make or break your business. 

In fact, 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a distinct corporate culture is important to an organization’s success, according to a Deloitte survey. Another study by staffing firm Robert Half reveals that more than a third of American workers would pass on the perfect job if the corporate culture was not a fit. 

How do you cultivate a dynamic culture that will drive your company’s success? Here are three tactics that have worked well for us:

#1: Empower your team

At Phobio, we empower our people to be leaders and experts in their fields. How do we accomplish that? We give them the opportunity to seek solutions and stretch their skills in a collaborative environment. We don’t expect our team members to follow the status quo. In fact, we encourage innovation, risk-taking and originality. Our goal is to attract the best people we can find and inspire them to do the best work of their careers. 

#2: Encourage work-life balance

For us, doing your best work isn’t about putting in endless hours—it’s more about being creative and finding solutions without burning out. Burnout is a real problem in today’s corporate world. According to Deloitte research, 77% of U.S. professionals say they have experienced burnout at their current job. The primary driver? A lack of support or recognition from leadership. 

It is critical to encourage employees to prioritize their health and happiness, so they are less likely to run out of steam. At Phobio, we have consistently high-performing people who continue to accelerate their careers, even after eight or nine years of working here. It all comes down to work-life balance.  Our team works hard, but they also have a life outside of the office.

#3: Don’t sweat the small stuff 

Stress takes an incredible toll on business professionals at every level. How can you alleviate stress in the workplace? At Phobio, we constantly remind our team that it’s important to maintain perspective when faced with failure. It’s kind of like a camera lens. If you zoom in really close on a problem, it may look like a tragedy. But if you zoom out, you’ll see the big picture and realize it’s a relatively minor bump in the road. Instead of obsessing over each failure, we tell our team members to accept it, learn from it and press forward. With their newfound knowledge and experience, they’re certain to win the next one. 

The most successful startups are the ones that take risks. When you’re making big swings, there are bound to be some fails along the way. But you cannot be afraid of failure.  You don’t have to win every single battle, and it’s important for your team to know and embrace that. After all, failure drives success. 

We are proud to have a team of brilliant visionaries who continue to drive our business forward. Many of our employees have been with us for a very long time, and we believe our corporate culture is what earned their loyalty. These Phobiosapiens, as we like to call them, are obsessed with creating amazing experiences for our clients and their customers.  

Want to learn more about our simple trade-in solutions? Let’s talk!

Interested in becoming a Phobiosapien?  Click here for a list of our open positions.