Jobhop Jobhop's blog : Top 10 UK Companies For Creatives to Work At
If you’ve got creativity in your blood, there is nothing worse than working within an environment that stifles your divergent thinking – and nothing better than finding a company that seems as if it’s built for people like you.
So, we’ve selected 10 workplaces across the country that are made
for creative types – with teams of big-thinking and artistic people, places
that are designed for brainstorming, and missions to make the world a more
beautiful and inspiring place. If you’re in search of a new place to let your
creativity run wild, have a lil’ peek inside the doors of these cool companies.
1.
Pinterest
Every fashion-lover, designer, foodie and crafter’s favourite social
network is (not surprisingly), a creative place to work too! Pinterest holds
regular hackathons, where employees get to choose a creative idea that they
want to make happen. A recent project of theirs involved creating a real-life
pin board for the office wall.
2.
Shutterstock
Since its founding in 2003, Shutterstock has built the vast photo
vector, and illustrations library that artists, publications and bloggers
around the world use to source great images. It’s obvious that the company
would draw a lot of photo fanatics and creative tech types but the artist inclination
doesn’t stop there. After lots of research of what it’s really like to work for
Shutterstock, I found out that half of the development team within the London
office plays some sort of musical instrument – they say that they always joke
about starting a Shutterstock band!
3.
Google
When it comes to keeping employees happy and productive, Google
leads the way. The brand is famous for its staff perks – free food and gym
memberships, bowling alleys and pool tables. They even employ a chief happiness
officer whose sole job is to maintain productivity and keep employees happy.
It seems that other companies are catching on and boosting
engagement and motivation by involving their employees in all sorts of creative
activities and offering extra incentives that help them to enjoy their jobs.
Many workplaces are now creating gaming zones and breakout areas, where staff
are able to chat and chill out, or offering classes that equip staff with
creative skills such as painting and drawing, languages and learning musical
instruments. Why? Because organisations that foster a workplace culture of
creativity are more likely to have happy, motivated employees who are more
productive and loyal.
4.
Spotify
Spotify provide a high-trust environment that gives the creative
types the room to do what they do best. They are also very influenced by
Swedish culture so there are a lot of spots to work and eat and sit and chill
and socialise within the office because of something called fika, which means
community. A lot of creative ideas and innovations organically get birthed due
to that vibe and concept.
5.
Net.Works
The company Net.Works are all about helping companies become more
creative so you’d expect them to follow their own rules. Their Islington office
is said to be somewhere that you’d want to hold a party. You feel like you
could be in your living room and this sense of comfort is bound to help
employees relax and work productively.
6.
Netflix
You often see things about Netflix’s outstanding office culture.
From unlimited holiday to extended maternity and paternity pay, the Netflix
rulebook seems to promote freedom and lots of time off. Netflix claim to value
creativity above all else by hiring ‘outstanding’ employees only and they
believe that creativity is the most important asset in an employee.
7.
Shazam
This music discovery app identifies music for its users through
their smartphone’s microphone. Since the companies launch over 15 years ago,
it’s grown to have more than 100 million monthly users all over the world.
There are lots of opportunities for personal growth and employees are
constantly encouraged to be developing themselves. Every month team members
give ‘Tech Talks’ where they present something that stood out to them at a
conference, or something they are very passionate about.
8.
Nike Design
The Design
teams at Nike include inventors, artists and specialists; all with different
focuses, including apparel, footwear and graphic designers, and colour and
material experts. The Nike designers look into the future, pursuing materials,
forms and ideas that further elevate that athlete experience, reduce
environmental impact and constantly raise the bar for modern style. The company
is constantly looking for people who can grow, think, dream and create.
9.
ASOS
British
online fashion and beauty retailer ASOS was set up in London in 2000 and now
distributes womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories, jewellery and beauty
products to shoppers globally. They are known as the go-to destination for just
about any occasion, offering an amazingly wide range of clothes to suit your
every need. However, the famous brand is not just a fashion house; it’s also a
developer of creative talent.
They aim to find students interested in fashion and business at uni
and foster their creativity to give them a head start for the future through
internships, campus roles and competitions.
10.
AirBnB
Airbnb, the online marketplace for short-term
renters and hosts around the world, is known as one of the most creative
companies to work for in the world. They’re all about embracing the adventure,
being bold and applying creative thinking.
Besides being very creative, Airbnbers get to bring
their pets to work every day, have a pingpong table, have weekly yoga classes
at work and get to eat organic lunches on a daily basis.
Also, an interesting twist on the corporate world’s casual Friday,
Airbnbers have the opposite – dressing up for formal Fridays. And if that wasn’t
enough to make you feel like you want to drop everything and apply for a job at Airbnb,
the staff also get theme days, one of which was in the vein of Mad Men. Yes. We’re
jealous.
Do you know of any other UK companies that are suitable for creatives? Let us know about them over on Twitter!
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