Kasey Kaplan is the co-founder and president of Urban FT. Follow him @kaseykaplan.
Recently, YEC spoke with Kasey about his employee management and company culture experience. His best advice is below.
What interview question do you always ask potential hires and why?
I always ask two questions: “What are you passionate about?” and “If you could be any superhero, who would it be and why?”
Interviews are generally a bad way of judging on-job performance. However, they are a great opportunity to understand a candidate’s personality and values. Understanding someone’s drive helps provide insights on their interests and areas of focus. The superhero question is a fun one that reveals a bit of our culture to the candidate but also shows if the candidate is open to thinking differently and being creative.
What makes your company culture unique?
We have an open and connected culture. People genuinely care about one another both on a professional and personal level, which is important when you have three offices. It is also important to keep it fun and take a step back to realize the progress that has been made. After key milestones are achieved, we always celebrate and do our best to give credit to the staff.
How can you make sure team outings or activities appeal as best they can to all employees?
We ask the team what they are interested in doing and mix it up so that it is inclusive. We also try to make sure that whatever we do enables communication. We want people to connect and feel connected with the team. I also find that, in a relaxed environment, the team feels more comfortable asking me questions they might not normally bring up in the office.
What’s your best tip for keeping a personal touch to onboarding and training as you grow?
The more you grow, the more organization is needed. However, make sure everything resonates with your brand and culture. Onboarding is one of the first experiences a new employee has with your company. Take the time to create something that will impress and inform them.
What’s one quick, easy way any company at any stage can invest in their company culture?
We have three offices and have implemented two things that help keep the team connected. First, we have weekly challenges, such as “Hawaiian-Themed Day” or “Best Halloween Costume. Everyone shares a picture of themselves participating in the theme and the whole company votes on who pulled it off the best. Secondly, we’ve implemented is a #Random channel on Slack. This helps everyone talk about nonwork and fun topics on a regular basis.
