“A company is only as good as its people.” - something we wholeheartedly believe at Clean Digital. Since 2012, we’ve remained a people-centric business with our strength rooted in our team. This ethos has guided all decision making throughout our journey, and created a robust and inclusive company culture as a result.
At Clean Digital, we know that a thriving company culture is more than just a set of guidelines - it's the heartbeat of our agency. Earlier this year, we won two awards at the UK Culture Awards: Best Agency To Work For and Best Culture Transformation Initiative. But these achievements didn’t happen overnight. We firmly believe that these accolades, and indeed all our success as an agency, stem from the strong company culture at the core of everything we do.
Let’s rewind to pre-pandemic days (sorry to bring up the P word!). As a small, close-knit team, we established a strong set of company values that everyone at Clean Digital committed to. These values formed the foundation of our daily operations and decisions. We even incorporated initial appraisal questions with our values in mind, allowing us to see how each team member embodies them. However, we're aware that a static set of values might not serve us forever. This is why we regularly revisit and review our values, ensuring they align with our current goals, ethos, and the evolving landscape of the digital marketing world.
In 2023, we reached a pivotal milestone by becoming 100% employee owned. This transition was a cultural evolution designed to empower every member of our team. Shortly after, we ran with a company-wide workshop to re-write our values. In fact, one of our updated values was suggested by our newest team member at the time - the employee-ownership structure gave him the voice and platform to share his opinion. Today, our values are clear and powerful: Be Leaders, Have Passion, Be Curious, Bring Value.
This transition to employee ownership is a leading factor in why we won the Best Culture Transformation Initiative award. It’s a testament to what we’ve achieved as an employee-owned agency. We have surged our employee benefits, offering private health care, an enhanced maternity and paternity policy, and a bike-to-work scheme. Additionally, we’ve added two more annual leave days and introduced a buy/sell holiday scheme. Every team member enjoys a monthly wellbeing hour, networking opportunities, and time for volunteering. Perhaps most exciting are the bi-annual profit payouts for all employees with over six months of service - a true reflection of our commitment to shared success.
We love our company socials, from our big summer and winter parties to smaller hang outs throughout the year that keep us connected. What's particularly special is the organic emergence of clubs and activities from within our team over the years, such as the rock climbing club, running club, and chess club. Even during the pandemic, we ensured our team building and collaboration remained strong through weekly creative virtual socials and activities.
It’s our shared purpose and values that have shaped a strong culture, helping us earn the title of Best Agency to Work For in the UK. As a small PPC agency in Edinburgh, this is an achievement we're incredibly proud of. We’re grateful for our team's dedication and spirit, which make Clean Digital a great place to work.
As always, we love discussing all things PPC, so don't hesitate to get in touch!
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