There’s a lot to love about working in Chicago; from watching tourists snap selfies during lunchtime walks along the river to making a quick stop at the nearest coffee shop for a late afternoon pick-me-up, there’s so much to see and do once you step outside of the office.
But what about those hours spent behind office walls? Those moments matter too, which is why many of the city’s tech companies go all out when it comes to creating an engaging, supportive and fun work environment.
While team members at Gelber Group navigate the hustle and bustle of proprietary trading, they can take a break from the daily grind by enjoying one of the company’s office amenities, such as its golf simulator. Other office perks, like company-paid access to the onsite gym and weekly catered lunches, make it easy for employees to accomplish their best work.
Meanwhile, at Caxy, team members have access to a fully stocked fridge, whiteboards and personal desk spaces to stay energized and focused throughout the workday. And when they’re seeking a bit of social time, they can stop by the office’s community cafe for a chat with colleagues.
These offices are designed to foster both productivity and peer-to-peer connection; a truth that’s also reflected in CPI OpenFox’s workplace. With access to collaboration spaces and fun monthly events, the company’s employees have everything they need to thrive — both professionally and personally.
Built In Chicago caught up with representatives from each company to learn more about what sets their in-office cultures apart and how this positively impacts their daily work lives.
Gelber Group is a proprietary trading company that trades on major exchanges around the world and operates in various asset classes, including fixed income and commodities.
Tell us about Gelber Group’s approach to the in-office experience. How are these elements emblematic of your team culture?
Everything about our space is focused around enabling our culture of collaboration. Our open office layout, state-of-the-art trading floor and unique social space, which includes a billiards table, a golf simulator and lounge area, foster a sense of community and collaboration while showcasing the personality of our firm. Our location in Chicago offers a balance of open office space, collaboration areas and private meeting rooms and offices. Having cutting-edge ergonomic workspaces is another important aspect, which includes features like standing desks at all workstations.
We aim to provide amenities that allow our teams to perform at their best, including perks like company-paid access to our onsite gym, catered lunches three times per week and monthly continental breakfasts. Our location on Wolf Point in River North, right next to the Merchandise Mart, offers amazing views of the Chicago River and is a short walk from the Metra and Chicago Transit Authority.
“We aim to provide amenities that allow our teams to perform at their best, including perks like company-paid access to our onsite gym, catered lunches three times per week and monthly continental breakfasts.”
In your opinion, what about your in-office experience feels the most impactful on your daily work life?
The value we place on human interaction is incredibly impactful. You’ll always see team members collaborating, socializing and engaging with one another. We offer a hybrid schedule, and our teams all work together three days per week in the office. We value the balance of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility. It’s an incredibly welcoming and supportive organization and work environment that values human over digital relationships. Our leadership team, including our CEO Brian Gelber, make a point to walk the floors and talk to our teams regularly to discuss what is going on in the markets, important initiatives across the business and how we can best enable the teams to succeed. Our employee annual party held in September provides our global staff the opportunity to see colleagues in person in Chicago.
Is there anything you’re looking forward to with the in-office experience?
I am eager to contribute to Gelber’s strong commitment to shaping the next generation of investment talent and market leadership. In business for over 40 years, establishing us as one of the most enduring proprietary trading firms in Chicago, we have always placed a high premium on our culture, which is built on the idea that teamwork, innovation and creative freedom are essential in today’s technology-driven marketplace. As a leading trading firm with a rich entrepreneurial spirit and a relentless drive to succeed, Gelber is poised for a bright and prosperous future. I am particularly excited about the focus we put on culture and the regular events we host throughout the year to bring our teams together.
Caxy is a software consultancy and development agency that specializes in a variety of services, from mobile-first platform development to product strategy.
Tell us about Caxy’s approach to the in-office experience. How are these elements emblematic of your team culture?
We are a hybrid environment — a few of our team members are permanently remote, but almost everyone is local and expected to be in office at least two days per week, between Tuesday and Thursday. Our team is highly collaborative, and the work we do is rarely done alone. We’ve found that consolidating the days that folks are in office creates enough overlap between team member attendance, and you can really see the impacts. The water cooler moments at the fully stocked fridge or our magic little coffee bot bring a level of personal connection that you can feel when you step into our conference rooms and start whiteboarding.
Our more tenured members have dedicated desks, but other desks remain open so you can change up your vibe — sometimes you’re looking for more socialization, so working by our community cafe area makes sense, and other times you need a little heads-down space, so the smaller “war rooms” or corners by the windows may make more sense. Our office is fully equipped with TVs, whiteboards, personal desk spaces, sofas and standing spaces to fit your style. There are strategically placed Caxy veterans around the office so everyone has a “swivel chair companion” if they need help.
In your opinion, what about your in-office experience feels the most impactful on your daily work life?
The human connection to know each other outside of just the required meetings really makes a difference. One of our values and pillars of leadership is this belief and stance that everyone deserves to be seen, heard and cared about as people first. That is simply easier and more effective to do when you know the people as more than just the really smart developer or really thoughtful product manager. Knowing about their pets, their interests, their worries and their approach to how they engage in conversation and problems really elevates the ability of the whole team to work cross-functionally and successfully through challenges.
We notice that junior developers and new team members speak up more and get assistance more quickly in office. We see relationships between senior and green team members flourish in person, which also makes remote work better because relationships are developed and reaching out is less of a barrier. We see more vocal participation in architecture, we see more camaraderie, and we see less idle or stuck employees overall in the office.
“We see relationships between senior and green team members flourish in person, which also makes remote work better because relationships are developed and reaching out is less of a barrier.”
Is there anything you’re looking forward to with the in-office experience?
For local team members and anyone who isn’t permanently remote, they come to our office a minimum of two days per week between Tuesday and Thursday. We found that when it was spread out Monday through Friday, folks would be alone in the office on many days, which defeated the purpose. This also changed how we handle meetings. We dedicate remote work days toward deep work, and we adjust our collaborative meetings to be in person wherever possible. We often have a group lunch or may have a lunch-and-learn session to discuss new ideas and trends.
My favorite part about having an office is the ability to celebrate big milestones of our teams — personal and professional — in a dedicated way. Whether it is a “caxyversary,” (anniversary of employment) or an engagement, graduation, new baby or new house, the office space lets us customize our celebrations to the person, and we get to really emphasize their impact and their success in ways that aren’t as tangible remotely. Our culture is big on showing up for people — If everyone is doing the maximum good they can do, then everyone is cared for and everyone is able to feel confident with risks, opportunities and growth.
CPI OpenFox’s software solutions enable federal and state agencies to manage and share criminal data. We talked to Project Manager Maggie Jamison to learn more about what makes the company’s in-office culture great.
Tell us about CPI OpenFox’s approach to the in-office experience. How are these elements emblematic of your team culture?
CPI has created a thoughtful and engaging workspace with a variety of amenities that support both productivity and relaxation. Features like our arcade and game area, coffee stations and collaborative spaces not only encourage a positive team culture but also make the office a place where employees genuinely enjoy spending time.
“Features like our arcade and game area, coffee stations and collaborative spaces not only encourage a positive team culture but also make the office a place where employees genuinely enjoy spending time.”
In your opinion, what about your in-office experience feels the most impactful on your daily work life?
The most impactful aspect of the in-office experience for me is the ability to connect and collaborate with my colleagues and the leadership team in person. The camaraderie and teamwork fostered by these interactions make my work at CPI truly enjoyable and productive.
Is there anything you’re looking forward to with the in-office experience?
I look forward to the monthly events hosted by our Culture Club. These events range from themed pop-up food bars to “Office Olympics.” Having these events add an element of fun and community to our workplace that I greatly appreciate.
