It’s great to be recognized by others, particularly as a great place to work. In 2016, both Becker’s Hospital Review and Modern Healthcare designated SPM as one of the best places to work in healthcare.
Earning this recognition made me stop and think about what I really like about working at SPM. And what I landed on were the “benefits beyond the benefits,” if you will.
Of course, I expected that we’d have all of the regular healthcare coverage, 401k plans, and even profit sharing. But beyond those, it’s all of the little (and not so little) things that add up. Now that I’ve been here for 3 years, I realize just how much those things matter to daily life and culture at SPM.
So… what’s so different?
Professional Growth
To start with, I’m always trying to improve and learn more. The agency’s approach is to ensure that individuals are nurtured and developed as they grow in their career. We’re empowered to write our own goals and to expect the agency to help us achieve them. Sometimes that even includes professional development coaching and classes.
A clear favorite at SPM are the monthly Lunch & Learns. The topics vary, as do the presenters. Sometimes they’re led by SPMers sharing a passion or new learning; sometimes they’re outside experts bringing in a different point of view. (And yes, I have presented my own Lunch & Learn on content marketing.) They keep us up to speed, improving, and thinking about what’s next. Plus, who doesn’t love free lunch! (And not just pizza!)
Work Hard Play Hard
Sure, sometimes we work long hours and late nights—because we work hard for our clients. It’s advertising and it takes more sweat than people may realize to make amazing work for our client partners.
What I do appreciate is the agency’s recognition of all the hard work we do and their commitment to balancing every late night with a solid dose of fun. Each month, we get together and celebrate employee birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays with themed cocktails and treats. Plus, there are also the champagne celebrations of new account wins (which I’m glad to say have been quite frequent this year!).
And as a country music fan, our Summer Party was an absolute blast—full of line dancing, bull riding, and even a bit of “beveraging” in Wrigleyville. So yes, we are one of those few companies that still closes down twice a year to get out of the office and let loose as a group with a company party. The end of year holiday bonus is much appreciated as well.
One Team
As the statistics say, I see my coworkers a lot… even outside of work! Every month, the company sponsors a teambuilding event where we can spend some time outside of the office doing something fun together. And it’s up to us to plan what we do. From an ice-skating outing to visiting Medieval Times to a wine and painting night, the more creative and the more people, the better. The power is in our hands to decide what and where.
Some of our outings have even been in support of an amazing charity, the Off the Street Club, which helps underprivileged children in Chicago’s west side. A few of my coworkers even tutor the kids once a week and attend the Annual Holiday Luncheon with the rest of the Chicagoland advertising community. I love being part of an agency that gives back in big ways.
Conclusion
So what do I think makes SPM a great place to work? It all comes down to one simple fact: Happy people do better work. And since I like doing great work AND being happy, I love that SPM lets me do both.
If you’re interested in being a part of our team, check out our open positions on our careers page.
Emma Greifenkamp
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