From Pac-Man to Pilates, These 5 Colorado Offices Have Major Perks

by Madeline Hester
November 19, 2019

Doctors say that in order to prevent eye strain from computer screens, it is helpful to follow the 20-20-20 rule: for every 20 minutes spent staring at a screen, a person should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 

For many of those working in Colorado tech, a rule isn’t necessary — their 360-degree views of the Denver skyline are enough inspiration to look outside. 

To stimulate productivity, tech companies today aren’t holding back when it comes to luxurious amenities and meticulously designed spaces. After all, who isn’t ready to tackle some code after a couple rounds of Pac-Man? Or lead a big meeting after a quick mediation in the wellness room? We talked to five local companies about what keeps their employees inspired to come into work each day. 

 

funding circle
funding circle
funding circle
funding circle

Funding Circle’s online loan system connects small businesses with investments from individuals, governments and banks. Businesses get the loan they need and investors gain a diverse portfolio with strong returns. 

U.S. Head of Operations, Site Leader Libby Morris told us how a wellness room and plenty of games keep employees relaxed and job satisfaction high.

 

What inspired the design of your office, and what features do employees love most?

Our Denver office has an open seating plan, which fosters a sense of community. Our facility was chosen because it is so convenient to reach with transit and has great amenities, including an onsite gym, hotel and bike lockers. 

We have a wellness room designed for nursing mothers, meditation, prayer or relaxation. There are games such as ping pong, shuffleboard and Nintendo Switch that give people the opportunity to decompress. We also keep the kitchen fully stocked with healthy, tasty snacks so people can jump right into their workday without worrying about their next bite.

We have a wellness room designed for nursing mothers, meditation, prayer or relaxation.

 

What exciting plans do you have for the future of your office? 

Everyone at Funding Circle is looking forward to the expansion of our office in the new year, currently under construction. This will give us a 360-degree view of the gorgeous Denver skyline. The expansion will allow for additional lounge and breakout space, dedicated large group meeting spaces, expanded kitchen and game areas and the incorporation of a gender-neutral bathroom. Most importantly, it will give us the opportunity to add amazing new Circlers to our team.

 

snowflake
snowflake
snowflake
snowflake

Snowflake is a cloud data platform that breaks down data silos, reduces the cost of maintaining data and ultimately enables businesses to make better and faster business decisions. Nicolette Mullenix, senior director of global sales development, laid out their plans for a bigger office and more hires. 

 

What inspired the design of your office, and what feature do employees love most?

We're currently in a co-working space and have an entire floor dedicated to Snowflake. We maintained the sleek design provided by the co-working company but added Snowflake branding and cultural additives. Our employees love the 360-degree views of Denver, sprawling workspace, the downtown location and our amazing common area where we host Waffle Wednesdays, Cheesy Thursdays and yoga. 

...we host Waffle Wednesdays, Cheesy Thursdays and yoga.

 

What exciting plans do you have for the future of your office? 

We are planning to expand to the rest of our floor throughout 2020 by adding 200 more employees. We're continuing to add Snowflake branding, standing desks, sustainable and organic snacks and more.

 

workiva
workiva
workiva
workiva

Workiva’s cloud-based data platform is designed to make managing and reporting business data easier. HR Business Partner Liz Ozust told us how office dogs and game rooms make the workday more enjoyable. 

 

What inspired the design of your office, and what feature do employees love most?

Our office design was inspired by our view of the city of Denver and the Platte River. We incorporated state-of-the-art collaborative and open workspaces in our design to support the culture of Workiva. The kitchen is a community space with ample seating and our relaxation lounges are complete with vapor fireplaces. We allow our employees to bring their dogs into the office every day and we love to spend our free time in the game room, enjoying friendly competition among co-workers.

We allow our employees to bring their dogs into the office every day... 

 

What exciting plans do you have for the future of your office? 

Workiva just launched our refreshed mission, values and leadership principles and we are excited to showcase them with a new wall design in the office.

We also plan to continue to share our space with the tech community by hosting more events like the one we did with Women Hack in September. As we expand our presence in Denver, we are looking forward to being part of the growing tech scene.

 

return path
return path
return path
return path

Return Path helps businesses optimize their marketing email campaigns by delivering insights into consumer behavior. Director of Engineering Brianna Connelly explained how something as simple as new soft-seating areas can have a huge impact on productivity.  

 

What inspired the design of your office, and what features do employees love most?

Our office design has always been rooted in comfort, fun and creating a place that people will love to work and be productive. The new hot feature for us is our soft seating area. We realized that our teams like to have alternative places to work that are not just at their desks or in the cafe (with a distracting loud coffee machine and “how bout 'dem Broncos?” conversations).  We removed cubicles and desks to put in sofas, loveseats and chairs called “soft seating.” Paired with our white noise canceling machines to tune out the distractions, we have a comfy and productive space to work! Our teams love it.

We actively listen to feedback and create new alternatives for our workforce.

 

What exciting plans do you have for the future of your office? 

Our office is always changing for the better. We actively listen to feedback and create new alternatives for our workforce.  Some of the current in-progress items are renaming all the conference rooms and redoing our arcade space. We held a company-wide contest for the room renaming, and the winner ended up being old school video games (Frogger, Centipede, Donkey Kong). It pairs nicely with our arcade room, complete with a classic PacMan machine.

 

toastmaster
toastmasters international
toastmasters
toastmasters international

As a nonprofit with a mission to teach leadership and public speaking skills, it’s no surprise that one of Toastmasters International’s core values is collaboration.

Human Resources and Workplace Director Gary Kinser told us how a little Vitamin D increases employee happiness and productivity.

 

What inspired the design of your office, and what features do employees love most?

The Toastmasters International office location was selected because of its proximity to the regional public transportation system. The four words we would use to describe the aesthetic of office would be warm, modern, minimalist and industrial.

When planning our office layout, we wanted to make sure our office design supports our culture statement of collaboration. We work together in an environment of trust and respect, where individuals openly share opinions and ideas across divisions and teams. 

To do this, we chose ergonomic furniture that can be programmed to meet employee needs for standing, sitting or leaning at whatever height works best for them. We also have a large selection of collaborative workspaces, private meeting rooms, huddle spaces and a large training room.

Because experts believe people are happier and more productive when they have access to direct sunlight, we made sure employees from every division have an unobstructed view outside the office from their work stations.

...we made sure employees from every division have an unobstructed view outside the office from their work stations.

What exciting plans do you have for the future of your office? 

In the last year, we have focused on investing in safety for employees. We have purchased two automatic external defibrillator machines and a video surveillance system, and have provided ongoing training for our safety team members. We’ve also participated in fire drills and have created a closely monitored permitted parking system. Our goal is to ensure a compliant, safe, clean and functional workplace. We have also installed a mini-market for employees to have access to food and beverages onsite.

We are excited to be in the planning stage for an onsite fitness center, available at no cost for our employees to use. This will help us support our value of employee wellness. We sponsor an annual 5K, have bimonthly onsite swing dance classes, and sponsor a variety of fitness challenges throughout the year. 


 

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