At the dog show, employees skim their dogs around a ring and have them perform tricks in front of hundreds of their colleagues.AdRoll employees gathered on Aug. 22 for the startup's 6th annual dog show.When AdRoll Group was looking for a new office in 2016, real estate director Lizzy Lear's negotiation tactics were put to the test. The company had found the perfect spot in San Francisco's Mission neighborhood, but there was just one problem.
As tech companies in Silicon Valley fight tooth and nail to lure and retain talent, many distinguish themselves by the uniqueness of their perks and company culture. The final challenge is the intelligence test, in which the dogs must uncover a treat hidden underneath a small orange cone. This year, only Frankie, a 7-year-old Australian Shepherd, was able to retrieve the treat when he kicked over the cone.
Lear secured the right for employees to bring in dogs after the company came up with parameters for the canines that appeased the company's landlords. AdRoll allows employees to bring in their dogs if they have had all their shots, are at least six months old, have been registered with the company, are kept on a leash at all times, are well behaved and play well with others.
The idea for the dog show came in 2013 from Mike French, AdRoll's senior workplace coordinator and the head of the company's culture club. At the time, French was coming up with ideas for company events and many of the employees regularly brought their dogs to the office.
Amazing company culture! Thanks for sharing this. Little things like this shows how to treat employees well more like humans, less like resources. Its not about numbers all the time but keeping your good culture intact as you grow makes people love coming to work and do more!