Our company core values guide us in everything we do and every decision we make, including when it comes to who we have on our team. We expect that everyone on our team lives and breathes by the same values that make up the driving force of our company. It is more important to us that we hire for culture fit than it is to hire for specific skills or experience. Everyone who joins the clevercanines team is required to sign a document stating that they have read, understood and will commit to living up to those values as part of their job expectation.

clevercanines offers several programs to our customers, and each program has its own team. When you join clevercanines, you will become part of a specific team and your scheduled shifts would be based on that program. Some of our programs run almost daily, some every week year-round, some are just a few days a month year round, others are busy for certain number of weeks each year. It all depends on what program you become involved in. You are welcome to be a part of more than one team if your schedule allows for it. To support each other, we encourage team members to pick up shifts in other programs when someone from another team books time off.

We expect our team to play ‘above the line’. Through the trust of our team, we will even call each other out when conversations, comments, or thoughts fall below the line. It is a requirement from our team that we not only stay above the line ourselves, but we also ensure the rest of the team does to.

‘Above the line’, you own the ship and have an OAR to steer it. ‘Below the line’, you make your BED and you must lie in it. By playing ‘above the line’, we take ownership of what is happening around us and accept the responsibility and accountability that goes with it.

When something goes wrong, the easiest response is to blame it on somebody else, find an excuse or deny there is a problem. Playing ‘below the line’ is destructive, as it does not resolve anything and problems get worse. Reacting ‘below the line’ is typical of the victim mentality – failure is a self-fulfilling prophecy for people who think like this.

Playing ‘above the line’ is constructive because taking ownership of, and responsibility for challenges leads to the resolution of problems. Taking ownership of challenges can also ensure that they don’t happen again. This proactive approach is typical of people with a victor mentality. Team members need to commit to playing ‘above the line’ at all times.

Regardless of what position you assume, there are certain responsibilities and expectations that apply to everyone in the company.

As a clevercanines team member, you will always represent the company in a professional manner. You will be customer service oriented and ensure everyone you interact with, both inside and outside of your program(s), are treated with genuine care so each person and dog feels important, valued and comfortable. Obsessed with details, proactive to a fault and unwavering high-standards mean you are able to keep all aspects of your program(s) running smoothly and ensure that daily responsibilities are completed either by you or through delegation. Your interest and understanding in the company vision, along with your attention to detail, will enable you to be proactive and work with your team to coordinate and manage critical timelines, as well as make suggestions and recommendations for ways to improve processes and service. Equally skilled at prioritization and delegation, you know how to anticipate needs, make decisions, and take action when necessary. Your understanding of the sales experience will support you in suggesting, coordinating and implementing a five-star customer service experience. Your interest in social media, along with your unique and enthusiastic perspective will keep you involved in the different platforms utilized within the company. You will be both mentored and be a mentor to every team member within clevercanines. Therefore you will be expected to convey clevercanines in a positive manner and be a cheerleader for all corporate decisions, processes and developments. Your participation in Chatter, social media, team events/meetings/training, and attending programs with your own dog will help to demonstrate your leadership, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness for the company. When communicating, interacting and reacting, you are conscious of staying ‘above the line’ in every situation, and you encourage others around you to also communicate above the line. You will understand and know the company’s core values and beliefs, and not only agree to adhere to each value, but also lead and inspire other team members to do the same.