In the build-up to The Investors in People Awards 2021, we’ve been speaking to the finalists, asking them to tell us their stories and what winning an award would mean to them.

ActiveCampaign was founded in 2003 by Jason VandeBoom. They support more than 150,000 customers with their customer experience automation platform. In 2016 the company had 15 employees but now have more than 850 globally. 

Even though the company has grown substantially, keeping the supportive culture alive has never been more critical. 

Their core values are baked into everything the company does: ‘pursue growth with gratitude’, ‘cultivate inclusion & diversity’, ‘create wow’, and ‘start with trust’. 

These values don’t just apply to work with customers but are also integral to the workplace and are why they have such a committed and dedicated workforce.

ActiveCampaign wants to attract the best talent and join the journey, so having a great work environment is essential. Their ever-expanding benefits package includes open PTO where employees are not restricted in the number of days of holiday they take, volunteering days, stipends towards home offices, as well as several in-office perks. 

They also track how our employees feel about the company through an annual anonymous survey. The most recent survey shows that 84% of employees feel like they belong, and 89% feel treated fairly. Having a great work environment makes business sense, but it’s also the right thing to do.

We spoke to John Lamphiere, RVP EMEA & APAC about why they entered, what an award would mean for them and what the future holds for ActiveCampaign.

Why did you enter The Investors in People Awards 2021?

We take employee culture seriously, and it’s essential for us that ActiveCampaign continues to champion the importance of employee satisfaction and the need for companies to invest in inclusion and diversity. 

Entering the award sends a clear signal to customers and the wider business community that we value our people. Being recognised by a reputable external organisation like Investors In People further validates that it’s not just rhetoric when we say we want to be the best company for our employees and customers.

Are there any goals or challenges you hope an award will help you achieve or solve?

We hope that winning an Investors In People award alongside our other accolades will be helpful when potential employees consider ActiveCampaign for their next career move, especially as we expect to be making several key hires in Europe over the coming months.

Tell us what distinguishes you from other companies in the category you’re shortlisted in.

It’s exciting to see the variety of companies that have been shortlisted. The main difference we can see is our customer base and the sector in which we play. As a global SaaS business headquartered in Chicago but with offices globally, including Dublin, it’s great to be on a list representing varied sectors and customer bases.

What does being shortlisted mean to everyone at your company?

 It demonstrates that we’re on the right path in making ActiveCampaign the best place to work, and being shortlisted further validates that we’re doing the right thing.

What would it mean to win?

Winning would mean everything to our employees who have contributed to making ActiveCampaign the workplace it is today. 

We’ve all put our unique stamp on bringing our collective experiences to the table to borrow the best bits from other companies, and winning would mean so much for everyone.

How does being shortlisted benefit your customers?

Customers today want to know they are dealing with a business with values and behave ethically and responsibly. 

Being shortlisted demonstrates to our customers that they are working with a company that has its employees’ best interests at heart and plays its role in society to champion the rights of marginalised groups and provide support to further important causes. 

Putting ourselves at the forefront of highly charged and emotive events such as the Black Lives Matter protests may sometimes be polarising. Still, it’s the right thing to do for both our employees and the broader global community.

How would you use being the recipient of this award to influence others?

We’ve always championed that doing right by our people has a direct correlation to our business success. We would use the award win to further the discussion on stage and articles about the importance of a people-first organisation. This would include how we got there and our advice to other businesses wanting to follow in our footsteps.

What can we expect to see from your organisation in the next 12 months? (And beyond!)

More growth and much more people-first initiatives, especially ones that contribute to the broader community.

What advice would you give to anyone applying for The Investors in People Awards 2022?

An essential part of our entry was in using the voices of our people. It’s all very well to use surveys and statistics to prove our points, but we wanted the judges to hear directly from our employees about what working at ActiveCampaign is like. 

This includes comments from our Senior Engineering Manager Olivia Wong, who said: 

“ActiveCampaign has always made me proud because of the heart and the caring that everybody shows not just for each other but the world at large.”

Read more of our finalist’s stories on our Awards page.