Growing Together: the Outsider
This is the third post in a series about the Thankyou Payroll team’s rapid growth and changes after their successful equity crowdfunding campaign in 2017. Next up is our contractor friend and tech-savvy team member, Jess Ducey.
I first encountered Thankyou Payroll as part of one of my other jobs at PledgeMe during Thankyou Payroll’s equity crowdfunding raise. I spent most of the launch party playing with the dogs and no one thought that was remotely odd, so I knew that these were my people.
In a classic Wellington moment, one of my friends started a job at Thankyou Payroll shortly before the launch, and so I heard a lot of inside tales of the values and people-supporting policies and practices touted during the campaign. In late 2017, about six months after the raise, I joined the team for a short part-time contract.
After admiring the the company from the outside, I am thrilled to report that Thankyou Payroll is even floofier and friendlier than I ever dreamed! I’ve been here almost eight months and recently signed on for the remainder of the year—I just can’t seem to walk away from this band of delightful, quirky weirdos.
I love working with a company that cares about people — from the commitment to the living wage, to the leave and other policies that recognise that life is complicated, to the little touches that make it clear that the team is a priority and not an afterthought. The #appreciation channel on Slack — where the help desk team share anecdotes from happy clients — helps keep everyone connected to the customers at the heart of our work. Our CEO is always accessible to anyone on the team, and it’s refreshing to work with someone who values the input and ideas of those working on the front lines, and is eager to support their growth and development.
All the emotional labour our Office Wrangler puts in to making the team feel appreciated is remarkable — the ever-present baked goods and the amount of forethought that goes into events and social activities. Taking the time to plan and get input (no one else I know is talking about their Xmas party in July!) so that everyone has a good time is so important for fostering a supportive environment. It’s rare to see that even in large organisations with dedicated HR teams, and so it’s especially impressive in a small business.
Culture is the behaviour you reward and encourage, not the shiny perks and vision statements.
Culture is the behaviour you reward and encourage, not the shiny perks and vision statements. Building and nurturing a positive company culture is real work, and I love working for a business that’s prepared to put the time into doing that. It’s heartening to see a company challenge the narrative of startups that drift away from their values over time, and I’m excited about Thankyou Payroll setting a positive example of growth and success that’s about more than just the bottom line. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Stay tuned for more from the team and get to know us better by following our Medium publication or check out the latest on our social media channels:Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Thankyou Payroll is a social enterprise providing online payroll and PAYE filing services for businesses and charities in New Zealand. If you want to be part of something more than just payroll, sign up to Thankyou Payroll here.
