When you hear the words company culture, what comes to mind? Is it a ping pong table and a casual dress code? Or maybe it’s the idea of flexible hours and open communication. If you ask 20 different people what workplace culture means to them, you’ll probably get 20 different answers. Company culture is something in your organization’s genetic code. You can’t touch it, but you can see it. It’s expressed in your social norms, behaviors, and communication.
Culture has evolved from a vague concept to an actionable priority. It defines your organization. Gone are the days of jobs being just a paycheck. People want to feel that their work has meaning and contributes to the overall success of the company. Culture can make or break your company and is often a determining factor of not only who stays with your team, but for how long.
At Firmatek, one way in which we demonstrate the importance of our culture is through communication. We invest in our team, their training, and their overall careers. From our leadership executives to our field techs, we want our employees to know their effort is valued.
How we communicate
Roughly half of Firmatek’s employees are distributed across the country. While technology allows us to communicate effectively, video calls, Slack messaging, and talking on the phone can’t replace in-person interaction.
To remain to true to our culture, Firmatek gathers all of it’s employees under the same roof at least once a year. We better understand our colleagues’ roles and responsibilities when we spend time together face-to-face. Most importantly, we learn more about each other and the company as a whole. Kyle Houston’s presentation during the meeting serves as a great example. While the purpose of his talk was to explain Geotechnical Analysis, it also reminded our Field Techs that we offer services outside of our normal stockpile work that they can discuss with our clients.
The meetings also created an opportunity to talk to the leaders of our company. The management team lined up and welcomed any and all questions during our panel discussion. Everyone had a chance to ask tough questions and hear authentic answers.
“The meetings help foster a culture of teamwork and communication. It is important to take steps ensuring these events are meaningful for everyone. There are presentations from the executives, but the majority of topics and presentations are meant to encourage two-way communication and dialogue. My favorite activities this year were the operations panel and team problem solving exercises. Everyone got the chance to speak and share their thoughts. ” – Andrew Maximow, Chief Drone Officer.
Above: Firmatek team leaders answer questions during the panel discussion.
Why we invest in the All Company Meeting
Our leadership execs place a high priority on having strong interpersonal and inter-department relationships in Firmatek. Our actions are a reflection of the culture we aim to create. We expect all employees to know about the other teams and encourage them to interact with each other without regard to functional silos.
“Our team gets the chance to talk to those in the company they might not otherwise have the chance to. Through presentations, group exercises, and chatting between breaks, employees start to learn more about other teams and departments. They learn about each other’s skills and gain respect for other parts of the company. We build camaraderie though the after-work events we host like dinner, happy hour, and this year- go karting.” – Rob Wyssbrod, President and COO.
If our employees understand the purpose their work brings, they’ll see where the company is going and what they can do to help get it there. We’ll continue delivering high-quality results when we share a common set of strategies and work towards a collective purpose. Investing in our employees is an investment in the future of our company. We have an incredible team of people at Firmatek and we can’t wait to see what 2020 brings.
