When I first started working at Exygy about 3 years ago, we were a company in its infancy without much of a defined culture to speak of.

Over the past 3 years, we’ve begun several cultural initiatives which have truly made me a happier employee. Here are 6 of those initiatives:

1. Open Vacation Policy

Our official vacation policy goes something like: “Take the time you need (with the assumption that you’ll get your work done.)”

It’s great to know that I can take a couple days off when family comes to visit, or a day off to go and see my niece’s musical, and not have to worry about saving up a limited number of vacation days. I have no idea how many vacation days I’ve used over the past few years, but I DO know that it was exactly as many as I needed – no more, no less.

2. Volunteer Days

It feels great to give something back – especially when you can do it outside on a beautiful day in San Francisco. Last year, Exygy spent one Friday building a house through Habitat for Humanity. The year before we planted shrubs at Golden Gate Park’s Botanical Garden.

3. Company Outings

We go out regularly for happy hours. A couple times a year we’ll all take the afternoon off and go bowling or play disc golf. Last fall we had an all-day retreat at Slide Ranch in Muir Beach.

4. Professional Development Budget

We each get up to $500 a year to spend on classes, conferences, meetups or anything else that helps us keep our skills sharp.

5. Core Values

We had several team meetings over the course of a few months in 2012 and determined what our individual core values were, and then we refined those into company core values. This means that each of us has invested a piece of ourselves into the company culture. We also learned a lot about each other during those few months and really bonded as a team around Exygy’s mission to be a technology partner for the world’s leading innovators and change-makers.

6. Goal Setting

We are all encouraged to set personal goals that align with the goals of the company. I check in about once a month with each of my co-workers and help them review and set their goals to ensure they are continuing to grow personally and professionally, while helping the company reach its goals.

I feel this has been the most important initiative – at least for me – to make sure I’m happy to come to work every day. Integrating my personal goals and unique gifts into my job makes it feel like I’m working toward my Life’s Work, rather than just “work.”

What are some ways your company keeps you happy? Tweet them to us @exygy