Now that we're looking for some more folk to join in the fun, we thought we'd introduce the man whose job it is to find them and keep them happy...
So, what did you do with your time before you joined Folk?
Well, I studied for a degree in Software Engineering Management at Bournemouth University before kicking off my career as a web developer. I quickly moved into management positions because I'm good with people and I love it. I like meeting people and I like spotting potential; I'm basically Simon Cowell.
What else do you enjoy?
I like interviewing people - I find my greatest challenge is getting people to just be themselves, as they obviously aren't themselves in traditional interviews.
How do you do it?
I'm just myself, I suppose. By talking to them like a human being and having a chat; I never go into any of my interviews with questions prepared. Normally a CV will get them an interview, after that, if I think I could go for a drink with them on a Friday after work, that's a good measure of how well they'll fit in culturally.
That's a unique approach...
We're very boldly saying that our culture is important to us. I am essentially the gatekeeper of this culture we're nurturing and I want to find new people that are compatible with us and can contribute to developing our culture into something good. I have to be picky.
So what's your purpose?
We created my role as Head of Talent & Culture because we're investing in people; it's my job to make sure that we grow with the right people with the right attitude.
Can you tell us all a little more detail about what you do?
Well, I've been in my new role for 27 days and there's two parts to it: Talent is about developing our Folk and Culture is about developing a fun environment that delivers results.
How does culture help to deliver results?
A thriving culture is key to motivation. We want our Folk to feel like business owners rather than employees. We have an incredibly flat hierarchy. In our business, everyone cares about the company so motivation is intrinsic - that is, we are motivated from within because we genuinely care about what we do, rather than being motivated by external factors.
That sounds nice...
It is! We want people who love us and our brand. We're a family run business and it makes a big difference. When you join us, you buy into the family and the brand - if people understand us and the reason we do business then they will deliver more as a result. We'll never be a 9 - 5 business.
So how would you describe the Folk culture?
Well, in my most recent catch-ups with everyone, they revealed that the thing they liked most about Folk is its people. If you're all working together on a problem, you work together to fix it no matter what it takes because you want to do it. I think that would really change if, for example, Jo had her own office and sat in a different room or if people arrived a little late for work, we snapped at them. There's a lot of trust and mutual respect shared here and we all like each other.
So, there you have it; though he may seem to be living the dream, Jon's got his work cut out for him.
If you're keen to find out more visit our careers page.