Like thousands of other businesses, digital ad agency Undertone started working remotely in the pandemic. But the policy became official after a vote by employees in August. Now, all Undertone staff can work from anywhere and receive a $300 credit to upgrade their home offices.
See all of Ad Age's 2022 Best Places to Work here.
“[The policy] has brought us a bigger talent pool,” said Kim Leone, VP of emerging business, marketing and strategic services. “For example, we just hired someone from Kansas City.” She says they keep offices open for employees who want to have the option, and a handful of employees still go in. Undertone’s flexible work-from-anywhere policy is one of the reasons why the company comes in at No. 5 among companies with 200 or fewer employees in Ad Age’s Best Places to Work 2022.
Undertone launched a new initiative in 2021 called the Uplift Collective, a publisher network of sites that are minority-owned that helps advertisers target these sites to diversify their media investment. When an advertiser runs on the Uplift Collective, Undertone donates 2% of the revenue to a charity in that advertiser’s name.
The company organizes a monthly charity initiative called Undertone Cares. It chooses a cause, such as women's issues, homelessness or animal rights, and highlights facts and ways to donate. Undertone also donates to charities instead of sending out “swag bags” during the holidays as part of Givsly’s Season Without Swag.
On top of its charity initiatives, half of Undertone’s employees and half of its senior management team identify as female, along with 30% of its executive team.
Undertone also focuses on giving employees time off. Employees have unlimited PTO, including their birthdays and summer Fridays. Leone says staff will also be given a “substantial” travel voucher for use in 2022.
“We’ve had two of our best years ever,” Leone said. “Just because we aren't sitting next to each other, doesn't mean we don't get it done.”
