At DUO Marketing + Communications, we believe that extraordinary careers are built on a foundation of mutual commitment. As such, our working dynamic thrives on a balance – we provide a space where people can grow and excel, and we, in return, come to rely on their excellence and commitment to driving shared success. It’s an environment where “magic happens when our values, thoughts and actions align”. This isn’t just inspiring messaging on a wall, but a guiding principle to ensure that we operate in integrity.
Opportunities for growth
While DUO comprises a high-performing team and has similar expectations of new team members, people joining the team are provided with substantial support and opportunities for growth. This includes support through robust processes, our advanced cloud-based tools and systems, continuous training, – including with our partners from The Collectivist and The Plexus PR Group – comprehensive feedback mechanisms, and availability of senior team members to help and provide guidance when needed. Apart from a focus on public relations, employees are also trained using DUO’s Digital Handbook, a comprehensive guide to equipping traditional specialists with Digital PR and digital marketing skills.
Ultimately, we are creating an environment that builds trust within the team and with our valued partners, and enables our people to become even better.
Our processes are not only designed to help us better service our clients, but also to help our people grow and succeed as professionals and individuals. For example, our work management tools don’t just help keep track of priorities and outcomes, but bring transparency to workloads and capacity management, and help our people plan and prioritise more effectively and efficiently. Having a team who are open to being asked for help is another crucial aspect, especially in our remote working environment.
Similarly, we encourage our people to ask questions – no matter how trivial they might sound – as this helps with growth and learning and ensures we place accuracy over assumptions.
Pursuit of excellence
DUO provides a supportive environment for employees, which includes a variety of benefits and initiatives designed to build teamwork and collaboration in a remote working environment (such as regular connect sessions, team meet-ups and more). Rather than a traditional hierarchy, we have adopted a strengths-based methodology to ensure that each account is allocated team members based on the competencies required. We are also an agency that is made up of dedicated, high-performing individuals who are determined to deliver quality results and make an impact on their clients.
As such, the ideal DUO employee is someone who is NOT satisfied with “good enough”. Rather, they are motivated by curiosity and a deep sense of pride in their work. They take ownership of tasks and inspire those around them to also aim higher. These traits are closely linked to DUO’s values of accountability, curiosity & learning, dependability, honouring our collective strengths, integrity, mutual respect, pride, resilience, and transparency.
Our values in action
These values aren’t just words; they form our shared operating system. Integrity, in particular, is the bedrock of trust – when you are integrous, clients will naturally trust you, allowing us to provide considered advice and guidance, which makes them appreciate and value us even more – rather than simply selling services. Here are a few examples of what they look like when put into practice:
- Delivering on commitments: “Do what you say you will do” is paramount for delivery and meeting deadlines. While mistakes happen and are acceptable when acknowledged and learned from, a failure to follow through on promises breaks trust.
- Bringing value, not ticking boxes: We encourage proactive thinking that goes beyond merely ticking boxes and look at ways in which they can deliver value for both clients and the team. We look for individuals who seek to understand rather than assume what value is to the client, can propose Plan Bs (and Plan Cs) when things deviate, and even anticipate what clients will want before they ask.
- Collaboration over ego: It’s not about individual ego or designations, but about everyone contributing their best to the team’s overall success. Being brave to share your ideas and being generous in sharing your knowledge is vital for the collective. Beyond retention of IP, it also ensures that we can offer our clients the best of our collective knowledge and insights.
- Adhering to processes: Processes are there to help you succeed, bringing transparency to your workload and aiding prioritisation. Leaning into the team and adhering to established processes have become critical to individual and collective success at DUO.
Striking the balance
The trust we build, both internally and with clients, stems from a careful balance. From DUO’s side, we provide support, processes, systems, training, and feedback. From your side, we rely on delivery, integrity, and transparency. This balance is crucial; if either side goes out of balance, trust breaks down.
At DUO, we offer a rewarding environment for those who align with our values and are prepared to embrace the responsibilities of a high-performing professional. We want to be proud of the work we do, and we seek individuals who share that ambition, driving themselves and the team to deliver their absolute best.
By Lesley Rencontre, Business Unit Director, and Phoebe Opperman, Project Manager and Designer, DUO Marketing + Communications.