After the uproar around a toxic culture that was created by a company we shall not name, we decided to have a ‘check in’ with all of our employees to find out how they feel about working for DMPG and the work culture they experience day to day. We gave them the option to express any good or bad feelings they might have.
The main principles we have are:
- Collaboration & Support – we operate as a single entity continually helping each other to be the best we can be for ourselves and our clients.
- Personal Development – always striving to improve our skills and experience in line with the first point.
- Fun & Safe – work should be fun and always feel safe. Politics and mind games have no place here at DMPG and we will do everything we can to ensure everyone is enjoying their work and always feels safe.
- Trust & Flexibility – everyone can and should be trusted to manage their own work schedule. This might not mean working a regular 9-5 and may not even mean working in the same country as their colleagues. As long as they’re upholding value #1 we don’t really mind when or where people work.
This comes as no surprise after having their own experience of a working environment that was unsupportive and had a damaging effect on the employees working motivation. They did not want that to happen within DMPG so from the outset they made sure it was their main focus. A supportive, understanding and encouraging work culture. Bullying of any kind from any person will not be tolerated, in fact when asked to write this article I was given strict instruction that should anyone express or inform me of any problems to inform either Tom or Steve instantly so they can fix it.
So how did DMPG handle the changes that were thrown its way when a global pandemic hit? How did DMPG manage to keep the work culture going while everyone was now split up and working remotely? What changes did they make?
To start with, daily stand up meetings via Google Meet became the new norm. No work discussed in these catch-ups but simply a business team meeting to chat and check-in and keep that morale going, talking about future weekend plans, football matches, current headlines or viral nonsense. Obviously, it is harder to keep the feelings of isolation at bay when everyone is working remotely but scheduling time for team catch-ups was vital at minimising this.
Everyone at DMPG also adopted a ‘door always open’ type of understanding, where you can put in a meeting with anyone at any time to check-in or catch up (as long as there are no clashes). Group chats for both work-related topics and personal topics were created to keep everyone feeling connected even outside of work to keep that community feeling to the company. Steve Carrod has taken the time to write an Article directly speaking about how DMPG Weathered the Pandemic.
With that in mind, Steve and Tom knew from their own experience that working from home, possibly with partners and children can be difficult. So flexible working hours were very important to everyone. The support given to each employee was unlimited. If someone needs to take a morning here or an afternoon there for whatever reason, a quick message in the group chat just to let people know that you would be away from the keyboard is all that was required and off you go (as long as you are still getting the work done at some point).
By having families themselves Steve and Tom know that the background noise of little ones, partners, pets or even just a washing machine is to be expected and is never an issue. Your doorbell rings? Not a problem. Your dog decides to start barking at the postal service? Not an issue. Having the understanding that working from home with these background noises and minor interruptions makes each employee human. DMPG knows that its employees are human beings, with feelings, with outside/home commitments and they make sure that every person is treated as such. Not treating them as robots or just cogs in a machine.
The expectations are simple, do what is expected of you, if you need help then ask for it. If someone asks for help then offer it and finally make sure that you are in a role that makes you happy because you spend an awful lot of your life at work and you will work better if you are happy in what you do.
We did get some feedback from multiple employees here at DMPG on their views on what it is like working here before, during and after the pandemic. How they find flexible working hours and how they feel about working from home.
Having only recently started, I was pleasantly surprised that the morning standup is more about teamwork and the internal ‘banter’ than a hard push on deadlines and activities. It is very much welcome and a good way to start the day with the latest stories of Tom’s children or Steve’s car. It is hard starting working for a company when you haven’t actually met anyone face to face, the same for clients.
But in saying that, the team is very much a ‘Team’, very supportive and all working together to get the best for our clients. I’m looking forward to meeting them face to face because at the moment I have no idea how tall anyone is or if they are trainers or shoes kind of people, having only seen shoulders and heads on screen. – Rebecca Stringer
I worked in many companies, big and small, and the DMPG’s working culture is different from any I’ve experienced before.
The very first thing that struck me when I joined is the incredible spirit of mutual support: everybody wants you to succeed. Each individual is highly skilled in their domain, but they are not “jealous” of their own knowledge, they will always be keen on sharing it with you and offer help whenever you need it. The nature of the work is highly collaborative, and the business could not be thriving as it does if it wasn’t for the unique and powerful combination of high
competence and positive cooperation. I was on-boarded remotely during the pandemic and to this day I still haven’t had the chance to meet my colleagues in person, however, I managed to develop great genuine relationships with my colleagues over the past 9 months, while progressively growing my skill set at the same time.
Each one of us has our own personality and brings something distinctive to the business and the team, and we all benefit from that diversity, that is encouraged and nourished.
My favourite aspect of all is the absence of time and energy consuming internal politics, which lets us all focus on what’s really important: continuing professional development and providing a high-quality service to clients. – Federica Cinosi
There is a flexible and forward-thinking approach to the working environment at DMPG, where everyone is trusted to manage their own time and can work around their own commitments. I respect and appreciate that the company has embraced remote working and is not pressuring a return to an office-based work environment. For me, this enables a better work-life balance and shows that the company really values the well-being of its employees.
There is a very friendly and open culture within the company, with many communication channels available to discuss both work and non-work related topics, as well as regularly scheduled company-wide catch-ups. This is important when working remotely and enables me to feel like I am never disconnected from others in the company.
Additionally, since starting at DMPG I have found that it is very much a learning environment. Everyone has specialist skill sets and so there is much to learn from everyone I am working with. This is demonstrated not only in day-to-day work but also infrequent internal workshops and sharing. – Joanne White
After more than two years working at DMPG, I can say for sure that DMGP is a game-changer company.
As a foreigner from the other side of the globe, I’ve always heard about how hard it is to adapt to a new country and culture, but DMPG team was like a family and made this process seem like child’s play.
Apart from the friendly team and the inclusive aspect of the company, DMPG is also a place that not only expects but supports each member of the team to search for continuous learning and to discover new technologies. For me, as a developer, this is what makes DMPG special, as we are always improving and specialising in our area of knowledge, learning and testing new tools in the market, and making a real difference for our clients.
DMPG helped me to evolve personally and professionally. Tom and Steve are really close to the team, always available to talk, listen to new ideas or concerns, and help. The chain of command is not a blocker to talk freely to anyone in the company.
Nowadays, it’s not easy to find companies where you can have a good balance between professional and personal life, but DMPG is definitely one of those companies and I feel really happy working here. -Fernando Patini Szmyhiel
