How We Work Now: Gravie
How this Minneapolis-based employer benefits company manages a hybrid team.
Gravie’s headquarters in the Riverplace development in lower Northeast Minneapolis afford plenty of options for outdoor meetings, lunches, walks, and after-hours drinks.
“We’re a very social culture,” says chief brand officer Jeff Smokler. “There’s always a happy hour.”
The vast majority of the company’s more than 500 employees live and work in Minnesota, but remote workers are invited in at least once a quarter for all-company gatherings. This past March, Gravie landed an eye-popping $179 million equity investment.
The key to keeping all employees engaged, Smokler says, is frequent feedback. Here’s how this employer health benefits company manages a hybrid operation.
- Office days for local workers, with flexibility. In late spring, Gravie began asking employees in the Twin Cities metro to come in three times a week. Individual managers still have the option to arrange remote days with staff, but many choose to come in more frequently than required. “There’s real value to in-person collaboration,” Smokler says.
- Creating a “culture of feedback.” Gravie aims to maintain a regular flow of feedback between managers and employees, not just end-of-year reviews. To that end, the company has begun using a digital platform called Culture Amp to set and track benchmarks for individual workers, and it allows two-way feedback.
- The importance of “paw-ternity leave” and other benefits. Employees with new pets get time off to care for them. Gravie also offers a host of alternative medicine benefits, including access to yoga, acupuncture, and more. Finally, the company provides subsidized parking for local workers.
