REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
Ad Age's Best Places to Work 2025
SYLVAIN is No. 6 in Ad Age Best Places to Work 2025 among companies with up to 150 employees
Published on January 27, 2025.
SYLVAIN hosts an in-office design event. Credit: SYLVAIN
At SYLVAIN, success stems from a commitment to continuous improvement, challenging the status quo and ensuring all voices are heard. By tracking retention and engagement across demographics, the company ensures equitable experiences for all employees.
The New York-based brand consultancy integrates inclusion throughout the employee experience, starting with outreach to organizations supporting diverse talent and historically underserved groups. A multi-stage hiring process ensures representative candidate pools at every stage, with diversity broadly defined to include identity, background, interests and perspectives.
SYLVAIN’s paid internship program attracted over 400 applicants across three departments last year. Of its 66 staff members, nine began their careers through the program, including two from the 2024 summer cohort. Open to candidates of all ages, the program welcomes both early-career professionals and those transitioning into consulting roles.
The agency bridges culture and commerce, both in its work and through initiatives such as its annual culture and learning budget. This benefit gives employees $300 to pursue cultural or professional enrichment—whether attending design conferences, visiting museums or taking classes—and increases to $1,000 in an employee’s fifth year.
Team bonding is central to traditions including the annual jaunt, with past destinations including New Orleans, Puerto Rico and Barcelona, Spain. Employee-led events such as Verzuz, a music playlist competition with 88 battles since 2021, further foster camaraderie.
The company in its own words: “Our late founder, Alain Sylvain, started SYLVAIN with the intention of creating an environment in which people could be their full selves and do their best work. … Our size and diversity of thought brings significant advantages. We are nimble enough to thrive and spark influence at the chaotic intersection of business, brand, social impact, and culture. We’re hard on the work, kind to each other. We are a community of misfits and believe that people find their unique value here.”
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