Pros
-Custom Ink really does care about its Inkers, and that's evident through things like zero interest loans for emergencies, super low cost individual healthcare, inspirational community spaces, and lots and lots of free food and swag :) -Teledoc visits are FREE, which is amazing when you don't feel great. Insurance is only $7/month for an individual with the Wellness Credit. There's no deductible. It's pretty much unheard of for most companies! -There's a big focus on personal development, with Inky U, Development Time, and a lot of flexibility to go to outside conferences or seminars -Super inclusive and accepting of everyone. Things Custom Ink doesn't care about: who you love, where you're from, if you have a degree, what color your hair is, how many piercings you have, or if you wear jeans & tshirts every day. They just care if you treat other people with respect and work hard. -Genuine focus on Customer Service. -Free cheese. Free fruit. Free almonds, cashews, Skittles, M&Ms, goldfish, Tuesday snacks, Thursday lunches, and a "Surprise Cart." Inkers who are remote get care packages. -Everyone is insanely nice!
Kontras
-This is both a pro and a con: Inkers stay at Custom Ink for a long time, and for many, it's their only job since either HS or college. Basically, they "grow up at Custom Ink" and have jobs in many different parts of the business, which is great. The unintended consequence is that there's a lack of awareness of best practices in business that could really help Inkers, the community, and the company. I do see where Custom Ink is making a strong effort to bring in outside talent and push for professional development, so I think this will change without losing the culture. -While premiums for individual Inkers are super low, adding a spouse to insurance is quite pricey. The 401(k) match is a little below average too. Again, I know that they're looking at both of these things, and they were really receptive to my feedback about it. -Having survey data is great, and I appreciate how much Custom Ink cares about feedback. I am slightly concerned that not all managers respond to the feedback well, and team members may rate something highly on their survey when they have concerns, just to avoid an awkward follow-up discussion.
