We are Honchō: our company culture

Simply put, company culture is the feeling staff get when they walk into the office in the morning and how they behave on a daily basis. Company culture is not free beer on Fridays, a foosball table or early finishes. It’s the way the people communicate with each other; how they work together and an unspoken work ethic that everyone shares to progress in the business. Made up from SEO, Paid Media, Content and Digital PR experts, Honchō have created a working environment that reflects the professionalism of its employees.

Moving forward from a rebrand, Honchō has a growth mindset. As such, for a company to grow, it needs to nurture its employees. If employees are unhappy at work, the production of those employees will be uninspired and stunted. Here at Honchō, however, we create engaging and innovative output through expert teams because we believe in employee leadership. Inspiring leadership within each other as individuals and as teams ensures ownership of an individual’s workload, as well as within the wider team.

What are our workplace values at Honchō?

• Respect
• Fairness
• Growth
• Results
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Communication

Instilling these values into the daily routines and procedures around the office, constructs for the most effective team. In order for individuals to give their all in the office, they must feel respected and valued in the wider culture of the company. This is not about who likes who and it should never be. Bringing in personal preferences into the workplace is wholly unprofessional and unfair. We pride ourselves in immersing the individual in projects and teams where their presence and knowledge is valued. Expertise form each department have been molded since day one, so even the newest of member will provide a creative angle to support with Honchō’s client and internal projects.

According to Frances Frei and Anne Morriss at Harvard Business Review, company culture is what takes effect when the “employee handbook leaves off” and what guides what happens when the “CEO is out of the room”. At Honchō, we are not micro-managed. We take pride in our work and take ownership if it. More than anything, this shows Honchō’s company culture. We are an interpersonal team of marketers who thrive off their own independence. At Honchō, it is not necessary to have the line managers breathing down necks, as there is an underlying current of trust between employer and employee.

Does location help with company culture?

Absolutely! Creating the right work environment for the employees is so important for achieving results. Relaxed workers who enjoy being in their working environment will increase productivity – a win-win situation!

Unlike the concrete jungle of metropolitan cities, Honchō is located in the rolling greenery of Hertfordshire’s countryside. Away from the grime and dust of the city, we love taking walks in our lunch hours and even taking calls and team meetings outside when the weather is sunny enough. Working from 17th century converted barns and stables, our offices (aptly named The Old Barn and The Stables!) are the perfect synergy between urban chic offices and country living. We have totally refurbished offices that are state-of-the-art, complete with ergonomic desk chairs and computer equipment, creating the perfect office space. The overall configuration of the office space needs to be taken into account to ensure employee wellbeing. This can also include the amount of natural light, odours and decoration.

We have a brand spanking new conservatory that connects our two buildings together and acts as our reception. In here, a retail unit has been built holding our merchandise, giving the visitor a full retail experience as soon as they step into the building. Not only does it provide a full experience, but it allows for lots of sunshine and natural light to enter the office and a space to reflect on the successes of Honchō.

Company days out

To support busy periods and the hard-working team, Chris organises annual company days out so we can blow off some steam. One of the most memorable days out was hosted by one of our clients: Lee Valley. As a celebration of our company’s 10-year anniversary, Chris laid on a full day of white-water rafting where we completed two rounds of a water assault course, which resembled the likes of Total Wipeout. A minibus took us all there, we enjoyed a day out in the sun and a private area in their restaurant where we had delicious food and drink. Additionally, we have had other social events such as an escape room and bowling at famous London locations. Combine this with Honchō’s love of Christmas, we have plenty of annual events to keep the team motivated, celebrate achievements together and forge genuine friendships with colleagues.

These types of days out are perfect for team morale and socialising between departments. It is easy to become comfortable with just the colleagues in your immediate team. However, Honchō encourages the social and professional interaction between teams. Again, this builds company culture because we do not remain segregated but come together to perform to the best of abilities. Support between departments is so key for success!

Do you have what it takes?

Company culture does begin to evolve in a self-selecting mechanism when it comes to finding new members of your team. It’s like the law of attraction: what you put out to the world, the world will give back. As such, it is likely that candidates who possess the same qualities as the company culture will be attracted to us. Candidates will know we want; those with drive, a self-starting attitude and leadership qualities. With this in mind, why not check out our current vacancies. We have roles in SEO and PPC. You could be the next Honchō we’re looking for!