How Response Nurtures Our Employees
We work together, we learn together, and we grow together. That’s the culture of Response and how we’ve achieved so much success throughout the years. Naturally, nothing lasts forever and every now and then, our Response family becomes extended family. But no matter where they go, we’re always proud of the accomplishments of our former teammates, and we’re just as proud to think we have had a hand in developing and nurturing the talent that is driving our industry forward.
From Intern to Full-Time Employee
One thing that has always been a staple of Response is youth. Our roster of current and former employees is littered with interns turned full-time employees, including two current Responsters, Julia Nuara and Chris Hurlburt. We love hiring our interns for the sole fact that they’ve proven themselves. We’ve seen their potential, what they bring to our culture, and how they can grow. For a small agency that depends on every employee to accomplish what we accomplish, this is invaluable.
Graduating to Response
We also seek out young talent in the form of recent college graduates, as their perspective and energy are incredibly valuable to the agency. It’s easy for us marketing veterans to sometimes get locked into our ways, so when a 23-year old with two months of experience presents a new way of doing things because they’re unfamiliar with the old way of doing things, it gets us all thinking.
But as with all things, youth doesn’t last, womp womp. The kids grow up, they set their own goals, and chart their own paths. Though it’d be a lie to say we’re not upset when people leave, the fact is, we take great pride in watching our employees develop their talents to the point that they become attractive targets for other companies and firms. Most recently, we’ve seen a few of our team members begin their careers at Response and get recruited to big agencies and firms in Boston, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. These “kids” are not just heading to the big city, they’re working with top tech firms, leading startup restaurants, working with innovative companies like a 3D printing company; in short, they don’t just move on, they move up in roles and responsibility. We like to think that says a thing or two about Response’s ability to cultivate talent.
Proving Ground for Marketing Veterans
The guiding light to our youth movement is found in the experienced team members we welcome aboard. There’s no substitute for industry experience, and our stable of industry vets has spanned everyone from those with a few years to a decade or more in the business. Not only have these Responsters led projects and teams, they’ve been instrumental in influencing the culture of our agency. As employees, they have insights that can only come from years of experience. As people, they lead by example and show the younger members how to be successful and develop great ideas.
Again, our network of alums from our veteran pool have made us very proud. We’ve seen our extended family members go on to become team leaders, brand managers, creative directors, account directors, and more. Not only can several be found in the big cities of Boston and New York, you can also find Response’s influence all the way out in California. We wish everyone would stay, but when you see your team members are literally able to go anywhere and do almost anything, you can’t help but feel proud of building a company culture that develops such talent.
And not for nothing, but we also did bring together at least one happy couple, as a former copywriter and account manager tied the knot. Who says account managers and creatives can’t get along? Further proving our point about developing talent, the happy couple moved to Boston where they are both flourishing after honing their skillsets within our four walls.
Proud Parents
We hate goodbyes, especially when we’re saying goodbye to such incredible people, but it’s amazing to watch so many former Responsters achieving such success. Rest assured, for everyone who leaves we have 2-3 beyond talented people who stay. It’s just nice to take a step back once in a while and realize that we’ve played a large part in improving the careers of our team members (whether here or elsewhere), and thus improving the talent pool in the world of marketing as a whole.