Workplace happiness: Don’t forget about your internal clients

Working at an agency means that 90 percent of the time you work with external clients. A majority of my days are spent writing blog posts, pitching media, creating media lists and developing social content for our clients, but at an agency of our size it’s important to remember that to make the machine run smoothly (and pleasantly) there are many internal, behind-the-scenes tasks that require attention.

According to a survey by PwC, millennials place a “high priority on workplace culture and desire a work environment that emphasizes teamwork and a sense of community.” As a millennial I agree with that statement and I’m reminded of it whenever we interview internship candidates. Without fail, company culture is something that is always mentioned by candidates as something that is important to them as they start their careers. And employees of any age appreciate coming to work at a place where they enjoy spending their time.

Junior team members at Hodges are tasked with the bulk of the employee engagement elements that contribute to our company culture. There are 17 internal clients on the roster to satisfy.

To keep our company culture thriving we plan several events throughout the year. Some of the big events include baseball outings, birthday celebrations, holiday parties and pizza brainstorms, but it’s some of the smaller, impromptu events that bring us together for a laugh (or healthy debate) during the middle of a tough week which keep us all going.

So, you might be wondering, “What are some of the things to keep in mind when attending to your internal clients?” Similar to external clients, internal clients have preferences and the key is to recognize those preferences and to act on them. Here are some of the things that keep Hodgers happy:

• Craft beer should be stocked at all times (read: don’t buy Bud Light for beer Friday)
• Greek salads should come with tomatoes, but please hold the anchovies
• Keep “donut-free days” under a month (I learned this one the hard way.)
• Always have a secret stash of York Peppermint Patties

But keeping your internal client(s) happy isn’t just about the fun activities that are planned to keep the office going. It’s also imperative to do good work for clients and to get that work done on time. One piece of advice I received when I started at Hodges was to always do your part to make someone else’s life and day easier. If an account manager has placed a deadline on your piece of a project, then meet that goal and if, for some reason, you can’t, then communicate and follow up about the status of the project. Ultimately, this is what will keep your internal clients the happiest.