As we officially kick off the holiday season, we are keeping the momentum going with more Culture Collective! Today, we have a special guest: our very own Director of Human Resources, Kim Colucci. We sat down to talk with her about workplace culture and what that looks like in our own office. Kim has been in the foodie/start-up/people universe for many years in NYC. Most weekends you can find her jet setting across the country to listen to live music or in search of the world’s best espresso (still TBD). She plays tennis, loves overweight cats, and must have rainbow sprinkles on her ice cream. Read more for an inside look at Cater2.me’s culture.
What are three words you would use to describe your workplace culture and why?
The first word that comes to mind is connected. We’re a team of people spread across a dozen cities throughout the United States and even still, we feel like one big, close-knit family. A few ways we do this is through monthly company-wide syncs, gif-filled birthday shout-outs, and by encouraging folks to work in any of our offices across the country.
Next is driven. Not to toot my own team’s horn, but we hire great people who love what they do. Because they’re passionate about their work, it makes work not seem like work! You’ll often find a mixed bag of folks from all different departments stickin’ around the office late to make sure things are perfect.
My last word is fun. Whether it’s a karaoke night, a Mario Kart tournament — of which Alex, our co-founder, always wins — or a magician coming in to show us some tricks, we’re always finding ways to wind down and spend some quality time together.
What is your office super power?
I would have to say my superpower is being a chameleon. While I definitely keep my HR hat on throughout the workday, I’m always down for a rap battle, a meaning-of-life conversation, or an all-too-frequent run to the fancy coffee shop for a Brain Dust Latte. Being able to relate – or at least try my darndest – to any member of our team allows for super personal connections to be built.
Why is company culture important?
Company culture makes the difference between a good and a great company. Having employees who are happy, motivated, and driven will not only heighten productivity, but they’ll feel good about the work they’re doing. What’s super cool about Cater2.me is that our service helps companies provide culture – in the form of delicious meals – to their team. We generally service clients catering with the intention of them being able to take a breather midday to enjoy each others’ company around a shared meal.
What does your team normally do for lunch?
So you haven’t lunched until you lunch with Cater2.me! Just as we do for many of our clients, we provide meals to our team at least three days per week. We take every individuals’ dietary needs and preferences into consideration when our team plans our meals. For me as a keto-eater and seafood-hater, I know that I’m still going to be taken care of, even on sushi day. What’s great about our NYC office is that the majority of our department heads and our co-founders are based here so, for me, this means eating lunch around a table with people who have lots of different talents and accomplishments. We get to learn from each other everyday at lunchtime.
What are ways your company brings your team together?
As mentioned, lunch is a big deal for us. But we do a ton of other activities! Mario Kart tourneys are a great way for us to trash talk (I mean bond!) daily. We also have a monthly team event where we do things like go bowling, attend a baseball game, or crush an escape room. We also rotate office DJ! On my day you’ll hear some combination of rock and roll, Beethoven, and early 2000s pop.
If you could propose an idea to positively impact any company’s culture, what would it be and why?
Be transparent! Employees don’t like living on the edge when it comes to knowing how they’re performing. Beyond our quarterly performance reviews, our managers are constantly engaged with their teams tracking clear metrics and goals so everyone is aware and in-the-loop on their individual, team, and company performance.
