At Humu, our mission is to make work better for everyone, everywhere. But before we can do that, we need to make sure work is great for each of our fellow “Humuns,” as we like to call ourselves.
We know that giving teams time to connect and have fun together is crucial for maintaining a healthy workplace culture. Studies show that having fun at work also increases productivity, strengthens social connections, and energizes employees. That’s why we've created several traditions that help us bond, celebrate each other, and have a good laugh. Here are just a few of the ways we are making work better within our own workplace.
1. Celebrate You Days
At Humu, we celebrate all cultures and religions. To build a culture of allyship, equity, and belonging, we created Celebrate You days to encourage Humuns to take time off on personally meaningful days. Each employee can choose two Celebrate You days as paid holidays, in addition to Humu-wide holidays.
There are currently 17 holidays to choose from, including Passover, Lunar New Year, and Indigenous Peoples Day, and employees can suggest more for consideration at any time. If employees express interest in organizing an event to commemorate one of these days, we work together to help them put these on for the whole company. We’ve hosted celebrations for Diwali and Dia de los Muertos, and came together to remember the Stonewall Riots. These types of events are opportunities for us to bond and learn about each other's cultures.
2. All Fins Games
At our biweekly “All-Fins” (Humu’s version of All-Hands) meeting, we always block off time to have some company-wide fun. Whether through a guess-that-song game or employee trivia, we know it’s important to schedule time to take a step away from our work and enjoy each other’s company. Roei, a summer intern on the engineering team says, “[There are] so many opportunities to spend time with other Humuns and have some friendly competition.”
3. Monthly Board Game Night
Another beloved Humu tradition is our monthly board game night. We’ve played games ranging from Heads Up to Codenames to Dominion. “Our monthly game night is an opportunity to catch up with folks I do not get to see during the normal course of a week,” Ricardo, our VP of Finance, told me, “It is also a fun setting to laugh, to unwind, and to get both the competitive and collaborative energies flowing.”
4. #fun, #music, and #bachelor-squad
At Humu, there are Slack channels for everyone. Some of our favorites are #bachelor-squad to discuss the bachelor franchise, #pets where we showcase our furry friends, #overheard-at-humu for funny quotes, and #yelling where only YELLING is allowed. If there isn’t already a Slack channel for your hobby or interest, Humuns are encouraged to create new ones.
Check out this snapshot from our #peloton channel, where Humuns coordinate rides and debate which Peloton instructor is the best.
5. Numu graduations
After their first two weeks at Humu, we hold graduation ceremonies for new employees, also known as “Numus.” Every Numu is assigned a buddy before their start date; at graduation, buddies walk through everything the new person has contributed in just their first few weeks. This is a wonderful time for our entire company to celebrate our Numus and recognize all the contributions they’ve already made.
People scientist Caribay explains the science behind our Numu graduations: “[Organizations] often focus so much on introducing people when they start onboarding, but don’t follow-up or catch up with people after. We know giving people small tasks, a sense of autonomy yet accomplishment can have a big impact during onboarding.” We formalize this by celebrating our Numus after their 15-day onboarding period. This is a way to celebrate all wins—big or small—like asking the right questions, starting new projects, or fixing a coding bug.
6. Hu Pages
As soon as employees join Humu, they can customize their very own Hu page by adding photos, listing their special skills, and explaining things they appreciate in a teammate. These pages give us an opportunity to get to know each other on a more personal level. Employees can also add quotes to other people’s Hu pages!
7. Pet-friendly office
Every day is bring your dog to work day at Humu HQ. Our team co-created our pet policy to support pet-owners who struggle to leave their dogs at home. To also accommodate those of us who are allergic or would prefer to not work around dogs, half the office is sectioned off to be pet-free.
Say hello to engineer Andres’ dog Mocha who has made himself feel at home at the office!
Want to join our team? Head over to the careers page for job opportunities. We’d love to hear from you.
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