Last week we welcomed 16 of our employees' children to our New York office for Bring Your Kids to Work Day. Organised by the NYC Social Committee, the kids, aged between 2 and 15, spent the day seeing what their parents get up to at work.
The day started with time spent observing their parents at their desks, followed by sitting in on internal meetings, all soundtracked by Disney tunes playing in the background.
Shake Shack, candy and apple juice fuelled the afternoon, as the kids gathered in a conference room for a mini class led by colleagues from Ops, Content and Marketing. The topic? What else, but ‘how to put on a trade show’.
They then created their own trade show ideas, landing on a sports show - not bad for a first attempt!
For many colleagues, the importance of the day went beyond the activities themselves. Katie Matarese, VP, Global Retailers & Consumer Brands, who came with her son, said, ‘This is such an important event that Hyve participates in for everyone involved. For working parents who go into the office multiple days a week and spend time away from their families, it’s such a value for their children to be able to visualize their day to day.’
‘The experience allows the kids to have a different appreciation and perspective on their parents and the roles that they play outside the home, as well as giving parents an opportunity to teach their kids through example and get to know their colleagues on a more personal level. My son absolutely loved the experience and is still talking about "going to work in the city with mom". The social committee did an amazing job of curating a fun, informative and rewarding day!’
Danelle Brown, Director of Retailers and Category Brands, who brought along her two daughters, Grace and Honor, shared, 'As a parent of two pandemic babies, it was really special to bring them into the office and let them see what ‘Mom’s at work’ actually means. Grace and Honor loved having their own ‘meeting,’ learning more about Shoptalk, and connecting with so many new people (kids and adults). They had such a great time, they’re already asking if they can come back next week!’
The day also offered an opportunity to connect with colleagues and get to know one another better.
Blake Prentiss, Lead Service Desk Engineer, who brought in his daughter Marianne, reflected, ‘Bring Your Kids to Work Day creates connections with other co-workers in the office who you may not otherwise interact with, and that makes the office something more, something special. And I believe that makes us all more productive, and happier. Marianne now wants to come to the office, is excited that I get to go into the office and is interested in what I do as well as the folks I work with. Instead of saying Daddy is gone all the time on trips, now she talks about tickets and pretends to do tickets while doing self-play.’
The day rounded off with the children feeling tired and inspired. Bring Your Kids to Work Day is more than just giving parents a chance to show their children what they get up to at work, it supports working parents, brings teams together and gives colleagues a chance to connect. And who knows, maybe we met a few future Hyve employees along the way!
