HoneyBook: People First
By Allie Mintz, Ashley Daigneault and Sobrina Pies
At HoneyBook, our company’s five core values are the indispensable thread that binds together every HoneyBook experience. Basically, we’re a people-first company. That means we value the unique talents and insights brought to the table by every HoneyBook member and employee. That belief is reflected in everything we do, from our product to recruiting to customer success.
Meaningful Connection
One way our CEO Oz Alon maintains our people-first mentality is by creating meaningful connection among coworkers. This connection is a cultural fixture within the office. With most team members in San Francisco and Tel Aviv, all employees come together for a daily morning meeting designed to foster connections between HoneyBook’s global outposts. We call these meetings “7x7,” and the name is rooted in company history.
The tradition started when there were 7 employees in the company, and every employee was only given 1 minute to speak. The meetings initially served as a time to connect and say “hello” to teammates around the globe but have since evolved into more strategic sessions as HoneyBookmatured.
Both Tel Aviv and San Francisco have monitors that act as mirrors, so we can see whoever is presenting, no matter where they’re located in the world. The meeting fosters transparency across teams, departments, and timezones. Keeping the meetings short and sweet allows us to focus on what’s important and relevant to all teams.
People-First Benefits
Our people-first mentality extends not only to our members and employees, but also our employees’ families. HoneyBook has generous People Leave and Parental Leave Policies, which is rare for a company our size. Whether employees recently embarked on the parenthood journey, or need to care for a sick family member, they’re empowered to take the time they need. Our leave policies were created to ensure our team can achieve balance at work—and at home.
Environment
People have always been at the heart of our office spaces. In fact, the first HoneyBook office was in a cozy two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco. People showed up in their slippers and cooked breakfast every morning. When we outgrew the apartment, we wanted to maintain this special ambiance in our new office space. It was an environment people not only wanted to work in, but actually thrived in.
The open and accessible floor plan of our current office space allows employees to take a break and work at a dining room table, in the kitchen, or even on our indoor “deck.” No matter what your workstyle preference is, there is a space for you.
In the spirit of maintaining connection, our Tel Aviv office space echoes the design of the HoneyBook SF office. Our team feels at home wherever they’re working. And so do our members. We invite members to stop by and co-work alongside us whenever they get the chance (and always encourage taking boomerang videos in our swing seats). We serve creative professionals so the space where we work has to be inspiring–for both employees of HoneyBook and members who visit.
To wrap it all up, our core values permeate throughout HoneyBook culture. Our culture is built upon people-first policies that allow for meaningful connections for all employees around the world. We like to say we are all builders of HoneyBook, and together we are truly building something special.