#26 Orbit Media Studios
Gen Yers appreciate that to earn the right to play hard, you've got to work hard. At Orbit Media Studios, the pace is fast and the workload is heavy, but the entire team (60% of which is Gen Y) commits to jobs well done so that they can reap the rewards of their hard work.
"People are passionate about their job here and everyone works together," says Lead Web Developer Erin Byrne. "We have a successful project process plan and we get everything done the right way the first time." Byrne adds that in order to compete in the web development industry, a person needs to learn something new every day, which helps keep her job interesting. "We are always learning," she says. "Every project is different; the variety and fast-paced work environment is great."
Just because Orbit Media Studios (who launched over 50 sites in the last 7 months) is a busy place doesn't mean employees are harried and stressed. "It's a very relaxed culture," says Jill Clay, Senior Project Manager. "We're down-to-earth people. Some people come in early and leave early, some come in later and leave later. We have pizza delivery and everyone gets together." When she says "everyone," she means it. "There is no red-tape. If we have ideas, we can go directly to the owner and discuss. It's a collaborative culture and everyone hangs out outside of work," say Clay.
Andy Crestodina, the company's Strategic Director, says that Generation Y fits beautifully into Orbit Media Studios's mission. "In this industry, we push the limits of technology. We frequently do things we haven't done before, so it helps to have people with a fresh perspective. This industry is a natural fit for Generation Y employees."
The culture of Orbit Media Studios fits Gen Y employees' needs for flexibility and feeds their curiosity, too. "There's no specific start time," says Crestodina. "People arrive between 8:30 and 9:30. The communication between employees is streamlined, which reduces friction all around. Groups typically go and get lunch together, and there are weekly internal meetings for each team and pipeline meetings where teams meet with each other."
As Orbit Media Studios grows--the offices will double in size this year--the perks for their valued team grow, too. The company pays a large percentage of healthcare costs, gives everyone a Netflix account, and provides games and high-end computers. After a hard day's work, those benefits are pretty sweet.
