If you’ve been following us for a while, you might have noticed that we’ve evolved quite a bit lately. That’s because we’re on a mission to build a robust platform that can support all workplace culture needs, whether a team is big or small, vastly diversified or slowly working towards it, new or established, fully remote or on-site, or somewhere in the middle. With all the platform updates we’ve been shooting your way over the last several months, our goal with today’s post is to reacquaint you with who we are, what we stand for and how our marketplace offerings can accelerate your culture-growing efforts.
It’s been a minute since we shared our story, so we’ll start by giving you a brief recap!
How It Started: A Brief History
Hi (again)! We’re Thriver.
We began our journey in 2015 as Platterz, a startup that specialized in managing office food programs. At the time, our goal was simple: to help our early clients feed their people well by designing and delivering creative office catering solutions. But we quickly recognized that good food wasn’t the only thing these companies were hungry for; they craved unique and scalable methods of connecting and melding their people into unstoppable teams.
Over time, our focus shifted dramatically to fill that gap. Today, what started as an office food program is now the leading marketplace dedicated to helping you discover, book, and manage all culture-building solutions – whether it be food and kitchen, team activities, office space and design or even professional development, we’ve got you covered. We’ve gathered hundreds of platform services that cater to nearly every team structure, budget, and personality type you can think of.
We’re always updating our features to better help you determine which services our providers offer on-site and which are virtual. Use our filter function or discover providers and services near you.
How It’s Going: Turn-key Solutions For Every Culture Need
As an administrator, executive, or any type of decision-maker within your company, you’ve undoubtedly recognized that culture-building is a constant, complex, delicate task that involves balancing your organization’s best interests with your team’s happiness. And it’s not easy because people are tough to please!
But here’s the thing: that push and pull involved in managing multiple unique needs and wants all at once?
It’s not a bad thing.
It usually means at least a couple of positives. One, you have human beings on your team, which every organization needs to achieve greatness! And two, conflict (which isn’t a dirty word, by the way) means that many ideas full of potential are floating around, ripe for the picking. The key is combining them to produce an all-around satisfying solution that feeds the type of work environment you’re trying to create.
A thriving culture starts with identifying and building out the areas that matter most to your teams’ well-being. Sometimes they’re obvious, and other times, they’re subtle factors that you and your colleagues may not even recognize as consequential. If you want to determine which parts of your culture are strong and which parts need a little TLC, it’s helpful to ask yourself the following questions.
If it turns out that one (or all) of these areas need some work, that’s okay. We have dedicated Culture Experts that will help you build, manage and maintain a winning company culture – we’re here for you!
Now, down to business. Are your office programs:
Providing A Wide Variety of Proper Nutrition?
Category: Food & Kitchen
Excellent nutrition has the power to keep your team happy, fuelled and energized. It’s also a great way to bring colleagues together and teach everyone lifelong habits. Make use of our all-inclusive services, including:
Office Catering & Staffing
Gain instant access to a vast network of food delivery and catering experts specializing in different cuisines near you. Also, if you need baristas, servers, bartenders, or any other extra hands at your next office gathering, our providers will get you all the experienced attendees you need.
Location(s): Virtual & On-site
Beverages
There’s always at least one coworker who needs their coffee or tea done just right before they’re functional in the morning, isn’t there? Satisfy every tastebud with specialty teas, coffees, juices and almost any other beverage imaginable.
Location(s): On-site
Snacks & Pantry
Make sure your pantry is well-stocked with healthy single-serve treats to help everyone snack safely! You can also send snack packages to your remote coworkers so they don’t feel left out.
Location(s): On-site
Connecting People Through Engaging Team Activities?
Category: Team Activities
Imagine an environment where everyone has fun together, gets along well, and collaborates uniformly to complete projects that benefit all involved. When teams regularly participate in engaging team activities, it creates healthy friendships that positively impact their work-related interactions. Try focusing your get-togethers around these themes:
Team Building
Whether your coworkers prefer high-energy fun like trivia and game nights or more laid-back activities like meditation classes, there’s something for everyone.
Location(s): Virtual
Volunteering
One of the top things employees value is a chance to give back and serve the less fortunate. You can use volunteering as an opportunity to bond with your team while adding value to your surrounding communities.
Location(s): Virtual and on-site
Cooking Classes & Mixology
Few things are more satisfying than a delicious meal or savory drink made with your own hands. Sign your team up to learn incredible recipes for all occasions and from any location.
Location(s): Virtual
Arts & Crafts
Speaking of making things with your own hands: studies show a strong link between cognitive strength and creativity, so get everyone’s artistic juices flowing with gardening and wreath-making!
Location(s): Virtual
Entertainment
When it’s time to blow off some steam, your team can bond over magic shows, improv comedy, and multiple other merrymaking activities.
Location(s): Virtual
Getting Everyone Active on a Regular Basis?
Category: Health & Wellness
Holistic health, proper fuel and movement all go hand in hand. Create a fine balance for your employees with the following options:
Meditation & Mindfulness
Encourage everyone to slow down and release stress regularly through mediation, breathwork, and other decompressing techniques.
Location(s): Virtual
Fitness Classes
Exercise contributes significantly to high performance! Fitness looks different for everyone, so from high-energy sessions to slow-burn classes, there’s an activity for each team member to get and stay in shape.
Location(s): Virtual
Nutrition
Learning how to cook is one thing; it’s another to understand HOW food affects the human mind and body. Empower your team with the knowledge they need to make smart meal choices.
Location(s): Virtual
Workplace Mental Health
Mental health awareness in the workplace is on the rise, but there’s still a long way to go. With just a few training sessions, your colleagues can learn how to talk about psychological wellness and master a mental health management toolkit!
Location(s): Virtual
Investing in Continual Learning & Development?
Category: Professional Development
A solid professional development program will help your team’s skills remain current, keep colleagues engaged, and attract and retain the best talent. Some top areas to consider include:
Workplace Diversity
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion allow for empathy and increase a company’s ability to better understand the needs of their customers while empowering employees to feel safer and happier at work.
Location(s): Virtual
Personal Development Skills
Furnish your employees with technical skills for on-the-job tasks and soft skills (such as creativity, problem-solving, and communication) that tie everything together.
Location(s): Virtual
Leadership Training
More than ever, leaders and managers are looking for solutions to work through challenging times and support their teams. Empower your leadership with the tools needed to maximize influence, support employee growth and success, and drive corporate momentum while practicing self-care.
Location(s): Virtual
Communication Skills
The more effectively your coworkers can communicate their ideas, the more creative solutions there are to pull from. There are more than enough resources to help your team develop into more well-rounded professionals, including how to leverage body language and how to engage an audience through storytelling.
Location(s): Virtual
Creativity & Innovation
Modern problems in the workplace require modern solutions. Establish a creative culture that empowers everyone to quickly identify problems, tap into their genius, and collaborate successfully to find the right answers.
Location(s): Virtual & on-site
Hyping Up Employees & Showing Them Appreciation?
Category: Gifts & Swag
Little thank-you gestures can mean everything to your team, but it’s easy to run out of creative ways to express gratitude. You won’t have to worry about that for much longer, though, because our Gift & Swag category specializes in just that! Send welcome packages for onboarding, care packages for check-ins, and other gifts to highlight employee appreciation in and out of the office.
Swag & Apparel
A thriving culture is mostly about how your organization’s environment feels, but distinct branding goes a long way toward creating cohesiveness too! Find mugs, exercise equipment, and many other valuable items to deepen that sense of belonging within your team.
Location(s): Virtual & On-site
Gift Boxes
Want to congratulate a coworker on their new baby or show your team some love with sweet treats during the holidays? Take a look and find something that suits the occasion!
Location(s): Virtual & On-site
Safely & Strategically Using Office Space to Inspire Creativity & Togetherness?
Category: Office Space
With the economy opening up and many of us returning to onsite work, now is an excellent time to revisit how your office space can bring everyone comfortably together and support them. If you’re adopting a hybrid model, balancing and connecting the interests of remote and in-house employees can be tricky. Still, it’s perfectly manageable with a strategic combination of:
Office Design
Find creative ways to prepare meeting rooms for large group collaborations and smaller spaces for solo work. Also, make the place come alive with home comforts like living plants. And don’t forget to include remote workers! You can help them feel connected to their in-office teammates using company-themed design features.
Location(s): Virtual and on-site
Health & Safety
Make sure the layout of your office space keeps people safely apart while maintaining easy collaboration. Also, use carefully selected, ergonomic furniture and equipment to safeguard your team’s physical well-being.
Location(s): Virtual and on-site
Creating Space for Colleagues to Let Loose at Offsite Events?
As restrictions start to ease and teams begin heading back to the office, there’s more to look forward to than just in-office socializing. Get ready to plan vibrant out-of-office events once again, where your team can party together and shake off work stress. You’ll soon be able to plan entertainment (think DJs, dancers and other live entertainers) as well as every aspect of your offsite activities in one centralized place. A little rusty on event planning? You can even book our event planners who can do all the heavy lifting for you.
Change Your Culture Forever With Thriver
With hundreds of services and experiences at your fingertips, you can easily create the type of work environment that your team can thrive in, no matter where you’re located, what your budget is, or what kind of people you work with. And just like the universe is constantly expanding, we’re continuing to rapidly connect with more and more providers who specialize in new and exciting culture-building solutions.
Have you identified an area or two that needs some tender love and care but not sure where to start? We have dedicated Culture Experts ready and excited to collaborate in building you a thriving culture, unique to your company’s needs. Find the right remedies and talk to an Expert today.