A sneak peek into the San Francisco Agency work culture

by SF Agency
August 10, 2023

Every workplace has a work culture. From strictly business and tight hierarchies to the flat – and sometimes slightly chaotic – startup world, every company has its unique way of doing things. So how is the work culture at San Francisco Agency, you ask? Well, let us give you a glimpse.

(BTW, we’re hiring! Check out our available jobs here)

Everybody has different strengths (and weaker strengths)

And our team is no different. We are a group of individuals coming from all sorts of backgrounds. We come from all over the place, from former engineers and startup founders to people with decades of corporate and agency comms experience. Our varied skill sets mean we see the world a bit differently, and that’s our greatest strength as a team. If a problem needs to be solved, having people who look at it differently is the best way to get the job done.

Some people like doing one thing, others have different preferences. That’s how humans are, and they usually become pretty good at what they like doing. That means the key to getting the best out of every person is letting them play to their strengths. Some people love to build long-lasting relationships and lead projects. Others are exceptional writers and creatives. Some thrive in chaos; others crave structure. At San Francisco Agency, we try our best to allow people to play to their strengths and do more of the parts of the job they truly enjoy.

We work all over the world

When the pandemic struck, everyone ended up at their kitchen tables overnight. But when restrictions ended, companies decided to go in different directions. Some brought everyone back to the office, while others cut office spaces and demanded employees work from home. We ended up taking the best of both worlds.

While there is always a seat available for those who want it at our office in Eerikinkatu, Helsinki, everyone can work from wherever they want, whenever they want to. As long as they can keep Nordic hours and put our amazing clients first, any Mediterranean balcony or Finnish summer cottage can be a San Francisco office space. To build our community, we have regular non-work related meetings every week, where we talk about the weekend, eat lunch together or sum up the week that has gone.

Creating community while still allowing people to live their best life is what we’re all about.

Our infamous “zero assholes policy”

Yes, we have one of those. And we mean it. It’s in our code of conduct, and we practice it every day. Discussions are great, and challenging views are essential to drive a company forward. But speaking over others or pushing people down has no place in a healthy company culture. Too many companies have failed because employees were afraid to speak up, or strong voices overruled strong input. At San Francisco Agency, we put psychological safety first because we believe there is no point in growing if the people doing the work aren’t enjoying the ride.

We know we are slightly different from many other companies, and that’s what we like! Being able to be yourself at work without worrying about repercussions or negativity is key to the San Francisco work culture. We wouldn’t have it any other way.