Walk into the APPROVE headquarters in the historic Cotton Exchange building in Wilmington, N.C., and the first thing you’ll register is the vibe.

It’s tangible—people enjoy being here. They’re happy. A ping pong table stays in constant use. Chief Technology Officer Wellington Souza’s pet Yorkshire Terrier is a regular fixture. Kids visit. And when the workday is over, the team is busy picking their next stop for drinks and camaraderie after hours.

The idea of having a relaxed, laid-back environment started as a conscious choice by APPROVE CEO Robert Preville and his leadership team. That team places a high value on quality of life and wanted to support that same idea for employees. The office space reflects those “happy work” ideals. And that in-person environment has played a role in the company’s success.

The return to the office has been a bumpy road for many employers, and we’re increasingly hearing stories of employees and CEOs standing off over it. According to a June survey by Gallup , the desire among U.S. employees to work exclusively from home has more than doubled since October 2021. Among fully remote workers, 60% said they would be “extremely likely” to look for other opportunities if their employer decided not to offer remote work at least some of the time.

And it was reported by news outlets in August that occupancy in 10 of the country’s top business centers, including Washington, D.C., New York City and Los Angeles, was 43.5% of what it was before the pandemic.

That’s largely due to long commutes, uncomfortable office atmosphere and rigid schedules. But what if all that wasn’t a concern at a workplace? At APPROVE, office culture is thriving because company leaders have intentionally created an environment that employees actually want to be in. How does that play out in a typical week?

• Fridays are known for Beer-Thirty. At 3:30 p.m. staff can drink beer from our office kegerator.

• The office ping-pong table and basketball hoop get used daily.

• Even the cubicle aisle doesn’t take itself too seriously—it’s home to a corn-hole board.

• Music plays all day, from a playlist that is a shuffling of every employee’s favorite songs.

• Sound effects go off in the office when good things happen, like when a financing deal closes.

• Dress code is casual and flip flops are encouraged, fitting Wilmington’s beach-town vibe.

• Everyone has a free membership to a fitness center a block from the office.

It’s engaging, personal and most importantly—fun. But the APPROVE culture isn’t just about creating a fun place. Leaders want the office to be an extension of the team’s comfort zone, so they feel secure running out to a doctor’s appointment, picking up the kids or even catching a wave when the conditions are just right. No one likes to be micromanaged, so APPROVE employees have the flexibility to come and go when they please.

“Our people really appreciate that we give them this flexibility. It makes it easier for them to manage their personal lives, which enables them to be more focused and free from anxiety when they’re doing their jobs. But honestly, everyone prefers to be here in the office together,” Chief Marketing Officer Robin Salter said.

So, why can’t this be accomplished over Zoom?

• APPROVE’s constant innovation in the field of embedded finance is the product of a lot of impromptu brainstorm sessions. These sessions break out spontaneously and pull in additional team members as needed. That level of spontaneity would be very difficult to recreate in a remote situation, leaders say.

• Whiteboards are a big part of the process, too. Some of APPROVE’s greatest innovations have been worked out in this way, with team members collaborating on the same problem together on the same board.

• If team members are feeling stuck at all, it’s back to fun and games: talking out ideas while competing over ping pong.

• The team has a daily highlights meeting at 4:45 p.m., during which we share the highlights of the day with each other.

Plus, the positive energy that’s palpable here wouldn’t exist without in-office interactions that take advantage of the company’s physical location: the shared walks along Wilmington’s waterfront, coffee runs and lunches together.

Salter summed up the philosophy of how “happy work” translates to real results: “Our people enjoy the work they do and they take pride in growing our company. We don’t have to motivate our sales team to acquire new customers, they like helping businesses make more sales. Our staff appreciates the culture we’ve created and show their appreciation by doing good work.”

While other CEOs have had to make Draconian decrees that employees come back to the office, APPROVE’s approach has been to make sure the office is a center of gravity that naturally pulls employees in. That means respecting team members for their time and creativity. It means allowing them to have interactions that encourage team bonding.

“Our people do enjoy coming to work,” Salter said. “Mostly because we like being around each other.”