What’s a Hoolie? And, why is SRW a Great Place to Work?

When I first met the SRW team through my interview to lead their Human Resources team, they called themselves a ragtag bunch of hooligans on a quest to do good work with and for good people. They claimed these hooligans come from different backgrounds and experiences, are an enthusiastic and positive group, and have zero hubris. 

I remember thinking that was a nice idea, but there’s no way everyone at SRW fits this description. Then again, if even part of this story was true, I’d probably enjoy working with them. So, I took a chance and became a Hoolie (this is “hooligan” for short and what every member of the SRW team calls themselves).

I learned quickly that the Hoolies weren’t messing around. They are genuine, kind, excited to help each other out, resilient when there’s a problem to solve and take pride in their work as a result of team effort. No big egos or divas here!

In my role as Director of Human Resources, I have the unique advantage of working with every Hoolie – from building performance measurement and feedback processes with the leadership team, to job progress check-ins with individuals, to hiring and onboarding new talent. I’ve learned a lot about this group’s desire to learn and grow, not only as professionals but as human beings. There’s a drive within this group to understand each other’s differences and make the world around us a better place. 

I recently reflected on all the reasons why I’m lucky to have found SRW as we worked on a company-wide survey and application to achieve Great Place to Work certification. Spoiler alert – we got it! 

What does being a Great Place to Work mean? If you like data, here are some stats:

• 92% of employees say SRW is a great place to work (compared to 59% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company)
• 100% say they are willing to give extra to get the job done
• 100% say they care about each other
• 100% say you are made to feel welcome when you join the company
• 98% say management is approachable and easy to talk to
• 98% say they are given a lot of responsibility

From providing opportunities to connect as humans to perks and benefits inherent to who we are as an agency, here are 10 of the many examples why myself and fellow Hoolies consider SRW a Great Place to Work.

1. Consistent appreciation and recognition for our teammates through weekly Thursday Thanks zoom meetings and Hoolie of the Month nominations.
2. Connection opportunities across various teams and departments with activities like sidekick check-ins for new hires, happy hours (aka SRW Pappy Hours) and Fun Police events. What are the Fun Police? You’d have to join us to find out. What we can tell you is every Fun Police event involves laughing so hard we sometimes cry.
3. Hybrid work schedules from home, our Chicago office and our Denver office. Plus, flexible work hours around personal appointments and childcare needs.
4. Paid time off for various healthcare situations including COVID-19 vaccinations and recovery, miscarriage leave, and paid parental leave for birth mothers, birth fathers and adoptive parents. 
5. Personal development in mindfulness and wellbeing with yearlong Headspace app memberships, healthy eating workshops led by our resident dieticians and participation in Yale University’s Science of Wellbeing program offered through Coursera.
6. Career development training like creating a feedback culture, managing conflict, professionalism 101 and personalized coaching. 
7. Opportunities to expand our creativity with SRW Garage, a place to break the rules and produce surprise work for clients. 
8. Strengthening client relationships through a pandemic and economic recovery, including the creation of SRW’s first annual keynote address to navigate clients’ 2021 strategies based on 2020 shifts in consumer behavior and media consumption. 
9. Ongoing efforts to provide a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment while supporting BIPOC, AAPI and LGBTQIA+ employees. SRW’s Chief Inclusion Officer leads our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging council in developing opportunities to expand our impact with clients and the community around us.
10. Employing fresh perspectives year-round by hiring diverse full-time and intern talent and partnering with local university programs for intern class credit.

Want to learn more about SRW or join us? Check us out on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. We have a crew of TikTok experts creating content you won’t want to miss this Summer!