On 25th June, we celebrated National Bring Your Dog to Work Day. This special day dedicated to our four-legged furry friends traces its recent origin back to 1999, following an incentive by Pet Sitters International (PSI) to celebrate dogs as well as encourage more adoptions.
NetRefer took this opportunity to place our own mascot in the limelight – Delilah. Delilah, an American Pitbull crossed with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was adopted by Jackey – NetRefer’s Chief Productive Officer – in 2019 from the public dog pound.
Jackey had originally intended to adopt an entirely different kind of dog. She wanted an older one, who’d spend the best part of her days lying on the couch – one who wouldn’t entail too much work and that she could give one last chance to. As fate would have it, she walked out with a young and brisky dog who was not house-broken, house-trained, or even leash-trained, and whose energy levels required Jackey to walk her for up to three hours a day.
Little is known about Delilah’s past prior to her transitory life at the shelter. She was found pregnant roaming the streets. The dog pound worker inferred that she had probably been used for breeding and had probably cut herself loose. She also showed signs of neglect. Most of her life was spent in confinement, and while she was friendly to people, she was also very cautious, and clearly insecure.
What followed the adoption, were roughly eight months of consistent training and hard work – something far beyond what Jackey had envisioned. Despite all, Jackey tells us that the hard work quickly germinated into some truly fun times and an affectionate companionship. Thanks to Delilah, Jackey said she got back on track with her workouts and learned to appreciate simple fun little activities Delilah enjoys, something we can easily lose sight of in such a stressful and busy lifestyle we live nowadays.
Then, when Delilah was properly trained, it was time for her first trip with Jackey to the office. This started somewhat unexpectedly, though. When world events last year suddenly derailed due to Covid-19, NetReferians were all sent home to work remotely. Soon after, C-Level and Management started trickling back in, and Jackey, knowing the building was virtually empty, thought to bring Delilah along, rather than leaving her alone at home. The necessary surveys were carried out and all provisions were taken to make sure everyone – in the office or working from home – approved.
At first, Delilah pussyfooted her way into the office. She stuck to Jackey like a shadow. But soon after, her scavenging instinct took over and she ventured off to explore the entire building from top to bottom. And within a few days, she’d designated a warm sunny spot in the Human Resources office as her favourite one and she had her most cherished toys scattered throughout the company: NetRefer had become her second home.
As NetReferians too gradually made their way back to the office, from Delilah’s point of view, it looked like new people were entering her space. And yet, she welcomed this change with a heartily wag of her tail. Everyone quickly warmed up to Delilah as they crossed paths in the corridors, and Delilah took little time to make a mental note of who was most likely to give her a doggy snack and at what time.
Inadvertently, Delilah took up the role of a facilitator of sorts. Having her around the office reduces stress in more ways than most initially thought. As employees stop to interact with her, they also interact with one another. This lays the foundation for a more positive setting, giving coworkers increased opportunities to interact, something especially the shier or more introverted ones find themselves benefitting from. Such chance encounters with Delilah serving as a social lubricant helps coworkers hit it off on a high note. This paves the way for work collaborations and takes the edge of meetings, especially when Delilah sits in on these meetings!
Even from an outwards-looking-in point of view, having a company dog like Delilah helps with perception. Potential customers trying to get a feel for a company have a higher chance of It’s not hard to infer that the staff and atmosphere at a company are friendly and approachable – both from potential clients or potential recruits’ points of view. When either walks through the door, only to find Delilah front-lining the welcoming party, it puts a smile on their faces.
With more millennials and younger generations joining the workforce, having a dog-friendly policy is becoming a staple one on more progressive companies’ job descriptions. Edward Yost, manager of employee relations and development at the Society of Human Resource Management, states;
“[t]hat helps attract and retain potentially top talent within your organization, so there’s essentially a bringing them through the door and keeping them in house aspect to instituting one of these policies that the employer can see the increased benefit of having them.”
And what’s even greater is that employees who might’ve never thought of adopting a dog before might start entertaining the idea. And by doing so, contributing to the success of the original intention behind the ‘Bring Your Dog to Work Day’.
If you’re playing with the thought of joining the NetRefer Team, our doors are always welcome. So, drop by and come and say hi to Delilah in person!