Online retailer The Sock Drawer has again received official certification from Great Place to Work®, a global authority on workplace culture.
First certified in 2019, The Sock Drawer has undergone some dramatic changes in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based in San Luis Obispo, the company employs more than a dozen staff year-round and more during the holiday season, selling thousands of pairs of fun novelty socks and other gifts each year since it first opened in 2007. The business closed the doors of its local retail shop amid the early days of the pandemic, and owner and founder Brooke English said the recertification represents the strength and resiliency of her team as they shifted completely to online retail.
“We were forced to close down our beloved retail store and dive head-first into working remotely,” English said. “As for so many businesses, it was an incredible challenge, so to receive such positive feedback in our certification results is more meaningful than ever.”
As part of the certification process, employees complete anonymous surveys on workplace culture, focusing on issues ranging from compensation and managerial competence to office comfort and trust among staff. Great Place to Work® uses rigorous standards to grade the surveys and awards its certification to the highest-performing businesses. Fortune, Forbes and People media companies use these rankings to generate their well-known lists of the best places to work.
“In this past year, we were pulled apart physically, but we feel like we have found creative new ways to come together,” English said. “We are constantly checking in with each other on issues ranging from webcam sound quality to the stressors of childcare while working from home to the safety of our team members still processing orders in our warehouse. The survey is actually a super useful tool to us as company leaders to check in on our progress.”
The Great Place to Work® designation will last a year, through May 2022, at which point the “sock fairies” who work at The Sock Drawer can take a new survey for recertification.
“Company culture is extremely important to us, and we’re just so honored to again receive recognition for those efforts,” English said. “It speaks to the trust and compassion of each of our team members as we continue to face strange new challenges.”
To learn more, view The Sock Drawer’s company profile at https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/7015381.