How Blue 449 Achieves Top Workplace Honors

The agency was recently recognized as a amp8220Best Place to Workamp8221 in several of its markets including New York Texas and Indiana following several years of similar accoladesamp160amp160To find out the secrets to its success MediaVillage got the download from Ehlers who explains how every staff member gets a voice why unusual training sessions like working with an improv troupe help build presentation skillsamp160and how Blue 449 creates a cohesive culture across five offices nationwideAlli Romano amp160In a creative field full of standout companies Blue 449 is consistently recognized as a top place to work amp160How would you describe the company culture at Blue 449amp160 Dave Ehlers amp160If you were here walking the halls right now I think you would say that we39re a boutique agency with significant resources behind us from Publicis Media amp160That means that managers and executives and supervisors are handson with clients and staff at all levels amp160It gives us a family sense amp160I think people come here because we have a vision a vision for our clients and for our talent and I think people appreciate thatWe have a number of great benefits whichamp160have a focus on a positive worklife balance such as Mindfresh Wednesdays wellness programs confidence and leadership training through partnerships with body language expert Linda Clemmons and Second City Works Improv and Blue 449 Gives Back charitable initiativesamp160 What makes our programs so successful is the fact that we have a driving vision and a supportive cultureRomano amp160What are some of the most important attributes to running a successful agency and building a positive workplace Ehlers amp160As a leader I39ve learned we really need to be in it with talent amp160Talent is a big reason why our clients choose to work with us every dayamp160 We need them engaged and we need to be able to retain them amp160Clients don39t want to see their intellectual capital the people that they have as their partner walking out the door and going to competitors amp160We39re in the client service business and clients are buying talent so how are we going to keep the talent amp160We offer a lot of different opportunities that help with retention and recruitmentRomano amp160Can you give us a few examplesEhlers amp160Through our mentorship program we identify highpotential people early on and bring them under our wing amp160These people are going to add a lot of value to our organization amp160We also know that talent want a robust career so we39ve invested in different training programs amp160We have a vast online learning academy called IQ Academyamp160 We also do staff surveys to find out areas theyamp8217re interested in amp160People at all levels have said they are looking for training that will make them more charismatic in front of our clients so we brought in body language experts and improv organizations amp160We39re in the business of new business presentations client retention selling back to our clients and great media campaigns and part of that needs to be the salesmanship amp160We want to make sure that people are wellequipped for thatWe also have our best campaign awards the Blue Triangle Awards and we give out outstanding awards for people who go beyond the call of duty and serviceRomano amp160You mentioned the importance of recruiting amp160What are some of your initiatives to identify and bring in new talent Ehlers amp160I try to get people excited about a career in mediaamp160 This summer we had high school interns who came from the Opportunity Network and Futures and Options amp160We were able to connect with 10 people that probably never thought about a career in advertising or media amp160They were not here just answering phones and doing Excel charts amp160We had them shadow us on conference calls and gave them project work to get a taste for a career in media amp160We also worked on marketing themselves like their LinkedIn pages and creating proper resumes that will get recruitersamp8217 attentionRomano amp160How do you support minority LGBT and underrepresented communitiesEhlers amp160We work with great organizations including the Opportunity Network Futures and Options and the Multicultural Talent Pipeline that bring talent togetheramp160 We try to source talent from the best places possible amp160Weamp8217re also an organization that likes to give back amp160For about five years we have partnered with GLSEN which raises awareness about bullying in schools to kids that are in junior high and high school amp160As a media agency we can craft media plans for them and try to get them additional probono exposure amp160Weamp8217re all so excited to be part of this effortRomano amp160How do you cultivate an inclusive work environment and how do your clients benefit from thatEhlers amp160Our clients expect us to have a talent pool that39s really progressive and reflective of the US makeup and that39s our goal amp160Also people need to feel comfortable in their work environment so that spirit of being inclusive is important amp160People now have a voice here and we emphasize communication amp160We have regular town hall meetings and an effort called the 411 on 449 which is information about our organization amp160People can ask questions and talk amp160When people feel that they have a voice at an organization that just unlocks the inclusive nature that we39re trying to aspire toRomano amp160In that spirit what do you do to address your staffsamp8217 concerns and conflicts Ehlers amp160We live in a challenging world right amp160There39s going to be conflicts at home conflicts at work and conflicts in society amp160I think people need to feel that we have an outlet or an opportunity for them and that39s an important service to be providing amp160We have a fantastic human resources talent team thatamp8217s really connectedamp160 Through our town halls we host intimate conversations with employees when something big happens in or around the office amp160This allows people to go in a smaller group setting where we would have a counselor there so people can speak their minds and address current issues in our industry and the broader societyRomano amp160With employees in San Francisco Seattle Dallas Indiana and New York how do the Blue 449 values translate across officesEhlers amp160I meet frequently with the executive team either in person or on the phone amp160The initiatives that we39re working on for the company are customized for those markets amp160For example we have a quotGive Back Weekquot in September and the charities that we39re contributing to are going to be different in our Seattle and New York offices but weamp8217re all going to be giving amp160The key is to do something in tandem on the same week and build momentum around that but customize it in each of the individual citiesPhoto credit RawpixelUnsplashClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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How Blue 449 Achieves Top Workplace Honors

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Alli Romano

What Counts: Hard Truths About Streaming, Digital Ad Fraud, and Making Good Impressions - By E.B. Moss

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