Many companies see the value of recruiting from this pool of available, talented, and plaid wearing workers, but are leery of how these new employees will change their culture. Here are 10 ways your company can get on board with the hipster movement and make your work environment better for everyone.

1. | XPLANE 1Portland, Where Young People Go To … Work?
PORTLAND, WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE GO TO … WORK?
BUILDING A HIPSTER FRIENDLY WORK ENVIRONMENT
MAY 2014
By Katie Augsburger, Senior Manager – Employee Experience

2. | XPLANE 2Portland, Where Young People Go To … Work?
10 WAYS YOUR COMPANY CAN GET ON BOARD WITH THE
HIPSTER MOVEMENT
It has been said that Portland is where America’s youth goes
to retire. Our coffee, beer, and bike culture has made
Portland the destination of choice for the highly educated and
unemployed. Though some may malign their ironic glasses,
these hipsters are mobile, collaborative and very creative,
making them excellent potential employees.
Many companies see the value of recruiting from this pool of
available, talented and plaid wearing workers, but are leery
of how these new employees will change their culture.

3. | XPLANE 3Portland, Where Young People Go To … Work?
10 WAYS YOUR COMPANY CAN GET ON BOARD WITH THE
HIPSTER MOVEMENT
Here are 10 ways your company can get on board with the
hipster movement and make your work environment better
for everyone.
1. Embrace the “strange.” All too often businesses write
dress codes, email etiquette, and performance expectations
that are antiquated. Asking employees to cover their
“Muppets for Life” tattoos, not only stifles creativity, but also
forces an “us vs. them” mindset.
2. Allow for “zoning out time.” Brains can’t handle more
than a few hours of information before they start to sputter
out. Allowing individuals time to play pool, grab coffee, or
discuss the latest episode of Game of Thrones, shows
employees that you respect their need to re-charge.
3. Beer, its what’s for lunch. Deciding to allow alcohol is
not for every work environment. However, if your business
can, think of the message it sends: We trust you and believe
that you can have fun and work hard…and we want you to.
Pass the PBR.

4. | XPLANE 4Portland, Where Young People Go To … Work?
10 WAYS YOUR COMPANY CAN GET ON BOARD WITH THE
HIPSTER MOVEMENT
4. Express yourself. Many businesses have moved from
cubicles to open concepts to allow for more collaboration.
The downside of this model is that individuals are often less
expressive in their workspace. Make sure individuals feel
free to jazz up their desk…within reason.
5. Smartphones for everyone! People love gadgets, so
loosen up your tech rules. Allowing personal use of
technology (that doesn’t violate any ethical or legal rules of
course), says to employees, “We want you to utilize the latest
technology to work hard for us…and to watch Keyboard Cat
and take selfies.”
6. Encourage activity. Getting your employees active has
tons of benefits like reduced absenteeism, reduction of
benefit costs, and better productivity. Encourage bike to work
programs, reimburse gym costs, and let employees flex their
time to take a Bikram Yoga class. These small
accommodations reap huge rewards.
7. Flex time is the right time. People don’t only do their
best work from 9am to 5pm. Allow flexibility in when and how
people work. For some jobs, adherence to a schedule is
critical, but even for those, try to find ways to allow for
flexibility.

5. | XPLANE 5Portland, Where Young People Go To … Work?
10 WAYS YOUR COMPANY CAN GET ON BOARD WITH THE
HIPSTER MOVEMENT
8. Look cool. Make your work environment somewhere
people want to be. Are there cozy spots in which to sit and
gather? Is the lighting good? Do people cringe when they
see your Thomas Kincade paintings? Take design seriously,
because even if your employees don’t have an eye for color,
they know what they hate.
9. Allow for interactions, and force it if needed. The
Millennial generation has been working in teams ever since
they left the peewee soccer field, so working collaboratively
comes natural to many. If people are not naturally mixing,
find ways to make it happen. It may feel forced at first, but
eventually they will naturally gather… if only to complain
about you forcing them.
10. Encourage mistakes. It’s been a tough economic road
for workers; and because of that, many people may have
limited or non-existent work experience. That lack of
experience coupled with the desire to make an impression
can lead to missteps. Be okay with mistakes, allow for them
and celebrate them. A company that doesn’t allow people to
take risks or make mistakes becomes stagnant.
Creating an environment that allows for creativity, recognizes
individuality, and allows for flexibility doesn’t just benefit the
young and hip, it makes the work environment better for
everyone. Even the tragically uncool.