Is your bark louder than your bite?
In advertising, we’re all about expressing our personality and style — be it through clothes, music or hair cut. In Chicago, this is done through your choice of dog. That’s right, in no corner of the Havas Chicago office is there not a dog. Thankfully, in no corner of the Havas office is there any trace of a misbehaved one (the cardinal rule of bringing your fury friend to work)!
Whilst I am quickly observing and benefiting from the emotional effects of having a canine companion in the office, I asked Dr Google to serve up the scientific facts. And, with 60% of Americans owning a pet, it’s little wonder the modern workplace is adopting an open door policy for our four legged friends.
According to a dog named ZuZu (herself an office dog) and other more credible sources, with companies like Etsy, Amazon, Google and other creative companies setting the benchmark for dog-friendly workplace policies, the impacts of our four legged friends in the workplace are quite significant.
Despite some of the minor technicalities of having non-productive, illiterate and unpaid colleagues in the office, from all accounts having a dog in the office is positive, helping workplaces to:
Recruit employees — that’s right. Today, particularly with a millennial workforce, it’s not about what an employee can do for a company but what an employer can do for employees. Having an employer embrace you and your friendly attachments is a massive plus!
Retain employees — Similar to the recruitment phase, retention of employees is all about the way in which a staff member is being looked after. If their fury friend is part of the team, it’s doubly as hard for someone to hand in their notice or to feel like they want to!
Lift morale — There is an undeniable energy boosting quality of a pet, which is why people have them in the first place. They’re your friend even if you’re having a bad day, don’t feel like talking or are feeling un-enthused; not to mention they’re non-judgmental and love you just because. So, even though some humans are good at boosting office morale, there’s no doubt that a dog is far less complicated and has natural qualities for pepping someone up.
Keep employees at their desks longer! One of the biggest things pet owners say is that having a dog is like having a child. So for those who do only have a dog, not a child, the ability to bring it to work means that they don’t have to rush home at 5pm sharp to entertain the dog, take it for a walk or let it inside if it’s raining. Having a dog at work means that employees are generally more focused on the task at hand (obviously, outside of the mandatory pats)!
Create connections — Social research has indicated that pets help break down barriers to social interaction by providing a pathway to conversation. It is similar to babies — they look cute and don’t talk back, so interacting with them is easy and not intimidating. After all, isn’t it said that a single man should walk a puppy around the block if he wants to start a conversation with a woman?!
Get people moving — In today’s age, sitting is deemed to be the new smoking in terms of its negative health impacts. Therefore, whilst people are moving towards standing desks and stand-up (or even walking) meetings, having a dog in the office forces you to move around far more frequently. Even taking a 10-minute break to give your pooch some air is doing you a world of good too — both physically and mentally.
So, there you have it canine lovers. Havas Chicago is not only home to culture but also home to dogs. Hundreds of them — all fury, cute, clothed, well behaved, socialized, and loved. Perhaps that is why people are so happy and so creative in the office? Or, perhaps it’s just that everyone is so focused on all the dogs they don’t notice anything else. Either way, I like it!
Readers warning: If you like cats, Havas Chicago is not the office for you!
#havaschi #doglovers #RedAgency #havaslofts
Photo credits The Hounds of Havas
