In a year where many companies paused employee programs to focus on core business operations, The Heritage Group (THG) saw a unique opportunity to keep employees engaged in a virtual environment.
At the Heritage Group, we manage a diverse portfolio of more than 30 companies in the US and Europe. While our business has always been geographically diverse, social distancing has reinforced our commitment to creating a virtual space where employees can engage socially, intellectually, and developmentally. One of our core values is to build long-term relationships, and this past year THG had to get creative in finding new forums for connections, problem-solving, and brainstorming to take place.
A rapid response to remote work
Early in 2020, the Learning & Development team quickly pivoted to expand its core offerings to create unique virtual experiences. The team developed new content that was relevant to remote work, such as best practices for checking in with your teams, and how to use platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to facilitate productive meetings.
There was also an emphasis on creating a sense of belonging and making sure employees felt welcomed and valued in a virtual environment. One of our main program supporters, Meghan Hunt, a marketing director in our environmental business, expressed that the virtual workshops kept her feeling connected and grounded throughout the pandemic. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to work from home, but I’ve really missed daily informal interactions with my colleagues. Seeing their smiling faces over Zoom and participating in team building activities made me feel like I was hanging out with my THG family again,” Meghan said.
Our workshops are available in a variety of formats, allowing for flexibility and new experiences. As a best practice, we encourage the use of cameras/video to create a comfortable environment. “People tend to be apprehensive to share their camera at first, but there is so much benefit to seeing someone when you talk with them, especially during tough conversations. Non-verbal elements of communication are important! Sometimes by simply sharing your own screen, it will encourage others to do so as well,” shared Andrew Saik, a senior project engineer from our asphalt business. He also shared that he has since implemented this best practice with his team.
Andrew also shared that in the winter his team performs maintenance on their industrial systems to keep them running smoothly for the coming year – and similarly, we should perform maintenance on our professional skills and professional/personal/family relationships. “These online workshops are great opportunities to keep our professional leadership skills sharp and network with our co-workers,” he said.
Collaboration is “secret sauce” for keeping employees engaged
Ginger Rothrock, a senior director on the venture capital team, was surprised to find that “the best engagement came when our workshops combined productive learning with time allocated for improvisational personal dialogue. Our workshop leaders modeled empathy in a professional environment and open communication styles that encouraged productive dialogue personally and professionally.” She also noted the importance of leveraging technology to follow-up, stating “we were able to continue these connections after the workshops in informal Teams messaging and video calls.”
Maintaining a sense of togetherness is an essential aspect of the family-oriented culture at THG, and employees are continuing to learn and inspire each other through participation in our virtual experiences. “Brainstorming workshops, interactive leadership training and personal growth topics revitalized our team members, reinforcing the value of our diverse team and giving opportunities for us to appreciate the knowledge and skills of our teammates. We were able to uncover new opportunities while breaking monotony and boosting our collective confidence,” said Ginger.
Other employees have expressed the positive benefits of collaborating with a diverse group of people coming together to learn from one another. “It was truly rejuvenating to see so many individuals from all the THG companies coming together to discuss how we can improve our collective culture,” said Joshua Messer, an operations manager in the environmental business.
In addition to keeping employees engaged virtually, businesses also had to figure out how to onboard new employees in a remote environment. Taylor Cornelius, an experience coordinator for The Center, joined the organization in early 2020 and attributes the virtual experiences with helping her integrate into company culture. “Graduating college and entering the workforce during a pandemic had its own set of unique challenges. The virtual workshops helped me build my professional network and get connected with new people that I would not have otherwise been able to connect with during this time.”
Looking ahead
We believe people are our greatest asset, so investing in leadership and development opportunities for our employees is critical to our success now and in the future. The wide range of offerings and connection opportunities created during the pandemic have opened new possibilities for employees to join more virtual experiences and connect with others and learn! We are looking forward to seeing even more friendly faces as we continue to expand our offerings in 2021.
Chelsea Patterson is a learning and development leader at The Heritage Group. Since joining the company in 2014, she has designed and facilitated employee training, leader development, and is certified in Myers Briggs Steps 1 and 2, which she uses to enhance internal talent capabilities. Chelsea leads an annual Kids Science Camp in partnership with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis that encourages a love of STEM education among employee children. She was also involved in the opening of The Center, the organization’s state-of-the-art collaboration and R&D space in northwest Indianapolis. Chelsea holds a bachelor’s degree in Chinese and International Affairs from Miami University. During her time at Miami, she studied at Tianjin Foreign Studies University in China and interned for a consulting firm in Hong Kong. In her free time, Chelsea enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family. She is also a horse lover and accomplished equestrian who has competed at the world and national levels of the American Royal and World Championship Horse Show.
