Upon stepping through the doors of Hot Topic's HQ, employees are welcomed into a music driven, fun and high-energy workplace. The gigantic open floor filled with creative clusters of desks seats all employees, including the CEO, encourages active communication among staff without appointments, formalities or 'red tape'. Calls and emails from the over 600 in-mall retail stores are handled as top priority. There are no walls to separate levels of employees - no doors, no cubicles, and no barriers of any kind. The love for music is apparent, and televisions hang throughout the office playing music videos all day and night to keep everyone in touch with the music scene. Uniqueness and diversity of thought is celebrated throughout the company, in turn creating a culture dependent on the generation of new ideas, where producing a stimulating work environment for the individual employee is crucial.
There is no doubt that the Hot Topic culture is unique and different - with its roots deep in the rock n' roll world, where individualistic style is both celebrated and emulated. But this music-inspired company truly rises to a class of its own by creating an environment where employees and customers alike are completely free to be themselves. As one employee describes it, "there are a million reasons why Hot Topic is a wonderful place to work, but specifically they allow me to be myself. We can dress however we feel comfortable. We are allowed to wear our hair in any color we want. We can have piercings if we want, no matter how 'strange' anyone looks, everyone is treated well." On the flip side, there are plenty of Hot Topic employees sans colored hair, piercing, or tattoos, who are just as into the music as their tattooed colleagues.
"We've all come together with a love for music," explains Amy Malone, Manager of Office Services, "but if you took away the music, you would see that our people are the priority." That said, people prioritization is as much a part of the fabric of Hot Topic's culture as the music. "When interviewing candidates," adds Lisa Collins, Manager of Staffing, "we don't judge people by the way they look, which allows them to be themselves from the beginning." By taking physical appearances out of the equation, the focus boils down to the individual's talent, enabling employees to showcase their skill set without worrying about their image.
Upholding such a creatively unique culture takes serious commitment and dedication. But don't think for a second that these individuals are all work and no play. As a retail employee recalls, "If anything, I don't see it as strictly work. I think it is the best fun in the whole world. For the first time, I look forward to going to work, and when I get there sometimes I can't stop smiling. You're allowed to be who you are, inside and out." |
