ebbo used to occupy several suites of a building in Middletown, CT that also housed a half-dozen or so other firms. One Monday night, as I was walking out of our first-floor offices and through the main foyer toward the exit, I overheard two employees from another company having a little chat.
The first person asked, “How was your day?”
“One down, four to go,” the other one replied.
They both laughed.
As I drove home that night, I kept replaying that comment in my head: One down, four to go.
Wow! I can’t imagine feeling that way, and I hope no one at ebbo ever feels that way, either.
Over the course of my career, I’ve worked at a handful of companies, big and small. Some of the positions I held were great, others weren’t, but I learned from all of them, and I’ve tried to apply those lessons — especially the things I learned about culture — at ebbo. One of my main goals as CEO is to foster a work environment that gets people excited to come to the office every day because they’re passionate about their careers and they believe in what we’re doing here.
Developing and sustaining that sort of atmosphere starts with the people we hire. It’s critical that we build a team of qualified professionals who are eager to contribute and enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead of them — both their own and ebbo’s.
That’s why, when I’ve talked to candidates in the past, we’ve talked about my goals for the company and my personal experience here, including how we try to make sure no ebbo employee ever gets the “Sunday night blues” — that mix of anxiety and dread that often affects people before the start of the work week.
It’s not just about the hiring process, of course. We continually discuss and work on the ebbo culture, and we involve everyone in the effort. From quarterly town halls to annual holiday parties, we schedule social gatherings to help folks get to know one another in relaxed settings, whether it’s in the office or remotely.
During these get-togethers, we take the opportunity to recognize employees who’ve done outstanding work over the past month or year, based on the recommendations of individual co-workers or the entire team.
In between, we also think up team-building events, company outings, community initiatives and smaller activities — office decorating contests, for example — and put those ideas into action. Sustaining an appealing, vibrant workplace requires a constant iteration of listening to what the team wants and then balancing those desires with what’s right for the company at that time.
Most of the time, we get it right, but sometimes we don’t. The conversation never ends, though, and that’s the way it should be. Maintaining the culture remains our consistent focus so we never become a company that might cause a team member to develop a “one down, four to go” attitude.
If you’re interested in joining the team at ebbo, check out our career openings.
Tom Caporaso
Tom, our CEO, oversees the strategic direction of the company with over 20 years of experience in the loyalty and subscription space. When he's not leading in the office, he can be found coaching his kids in sports or watching his beloved New York Yankees or Pittsburgh Steelers.