Q&A: Flows on bringing the “cool factor” to company culture

EGR Technology: As a start-up, where do you begin when it comes to defining your company culture? 

James King (JK): The company culture almost always comes from the founders and their ultimate vision for the business. They set the tone and between their personalities, the foundation of the culture is formed. Of course, this needs to be aligned with the industry you are in and the type of product or service you are offering. Flows is in the technology space and although starting within igaming and sports betting, agnostic to industries, so we wanted to create a culture that reflected both the type of business as well as the industry it faces today. It is also important to think about your culture in the long term and how it ties in with your employment strategy and the talent you want to attract to the business. For us, this meant building a culture that would appeal to those in the gaming industry but also those working in tech.

EGR Technology: Did you take inspiration from other organisations? If so, what did you like about their culture and how did you apply this to Flows? 

JK: I wouldn’t say that we took inspiration from other companies, rather that the leaders in our industry and those at the cutting-edge of the tech sector have set the standard for us and others to follow. In the gaming space, I would argue that GiG in its early days created something of a blueprint that a lot of igaming businesses follow to this day. There is no suit and tie, no clocking in and clocking out. It is more about hiring people to do a job and providing them with the flexibility to do that job during the hours and in the ways that work for them. In short, companies need to be flexible, and this is something we certainly offer.

EGR Technology: How do you make a start-up attractive to talent? Is it enough just to be able to offer the “start-up” experience/journey or does it take a bit more than that?

JK: It can actually be easier as there is no preconceived culture, which can be a negative thing when it comes to hiring talent. Established companies have established cultures, and thanks to things like Glassdoor we can all read about how the culture works in reality. As a new company, we have a clean slate. We are also more agile and nimble and that is what has enabled us to get up and running during the pandemic and to also understand what people are looking for in a company’s culture and ensure we deliver it. This includes a flexible location, non-fixed hours and the choice of equipment team members prefer to use to do the job. We are also genuine in our efforts to reward staff – we recently took the team to Sicily for a holiday but there were no set targets that had to be achieved to go. We employ the best talent in the business to do the best they can, and so long as that is the case and team members are happy, we are happy, too.

EGR Technology: Have you had to adjust your company culture since you launched? If so, how?

JK: No. The company culture has been clearly defined and set from day one and, so far, it has created the working environment that we were seeking to achieve. This includes giving staff the option to work from home if they wish, or they can come into one of our offices (Malta, Marbella and London) but of course, they are not expected to clock in and clock out. We have also brought in the “cool” factor that we believe is important for us to also attract talent from the tech sector.

EGR Technology: What tools are available to companies when it comes to developing and maintaining their cultures? 

JK: The tools are the people and that is why it is crucial to employ the best in the business. That not only relates to their skills and talents but also how they fit within the culture. It takes just one bad hire to completely change the atmosphere within the organisation and that is also why it is important to be mature when it comes to dealing with staff that are not the right fit. The way I see it, there is no one tool for employee happiness – that is achieved through the company culture and the management team in place. The culture also needs to be stable and consistent as too many changes in direction can cause a significant cultural shift which can negatively impact your ability to onboard and retain talent.

EGR Technology: Ultimately, what is it that draws talent to a business? Is it the culture, the role, the pay? How do you strike a balance between all these factors? 

JK: It is a bit of everything. But what I believe to be the most important factor is the product or service that the company is offering. We launched Flows in October last year, and since then we have had replies to job specs where the candidate said they saw my presentation and had waited for the right job opportunity to open up. Even if the position was below where they were at, they loved the product and what we are trying to achieve so much that they want to be a part of the business and journey regardless. This really is priceless when it comes to drawing talent to a business.

Pay is always an interesting factor. While some companies are willing to pay big salaries – and in some cases, overpay for certain candidates – if the culture is not right, the person will ultimately leave the company at some point in the future. It is also important to clearly define the role and what is expected of the candidate as this can lead to disillusionment.

Ultimately, it is very important for staff to be happy in the workplace and companies must create cultures that allow for this.