Squarespace – Why is it consistently voted one of the top places to work?

In an Entrepreneur article by Sujan Patel, titled 10 Examples of Companies with Fantastic Cultures, Squarespace caught my eye immediately. Squarespace isn’t your average startup – it’s a website developer that not only creates mobile apps, logos and online stores, it will also provide businesses with workshops and ongoing support. SquareSpace’s mission is to “Make beautiful products to help people with creative ideas succeed.” Since 2012, the startup has been voted four times,“One of The Best Places to Work in New York City”. As well as it was in Fortunes’ “100 Best Workplaces for Millennials” (2015). What makes Squarespace so special?

The unique difference is their company culture: “flat, open and creative.” A flat organization is one where there are no senior management levels; everyone is treated equally. What makes Squarespace so successful is not only it’s flat structure, but recognizing the importance of employee well-being by providing spaces to rejuvenate and relax, flexible vacations, catered meals, monthly celebrations and guest lecturers for ongoing learning and growth. Additionally, the workspace is beautiful, and the atmosphere is described as being stimulating, engaging and fast-paced. With fewer or no management levels, employees typically feel more empowered and their creativity is not only encouraged, it’s celebrated. This approach is common among startups, but is tricky to maintain as the company expands, which generally leads to groups forming within the organization.

Matt Kroeker explains in his post What is the key to success? Communication, that “Throughout a company there are barriers to effective communication that people will witness in everyday life”. Squarespace is attempting to ensure that all of these barriers are removed by embracing a flat organizational structure and a supportive, inspiring culture. Their success is evident in the fact that they are now a $100 million web publishing platform and have been consistently voted one of the best places to work.