GreenPages, Inc., a national IT solutions provider and reseller based in Kittery, Maine, gives the notion of open work environment new meaning. The headquarters of the 10-year-old company has 110 windows enabling its 125 workers to see all of Portsmouth, N.H. across the border. Everyone works in low-rise cubicles with just one office in the building. Aesthetics drove the design, but the real beauty is the collegial atmosphere that has developed among the employees. "It really encourages people to generate ideas with their co-workers or discuss things with their managers," says Kimberly Chenard, a recruitment manager who's been with the company for nine years.
Openness touches far more than office design at GreenPages. Every Tuesday there is a company-wide meeting. The day before, Tobi Gagne, director of professional services support, e-mails everyone to see if anybody has an issue to discuss and adds those items to the agenda. Last year, in an effort to generate greater understanding and involvement, each department was asked to give 10-15 minute presentations on their roles in the company. The series of presentations continued for several months, with employees presenting videos, PowerPoints and even poetry to explain how they work. "We're very accessible," says Gagne, who's been with the company for four years. "Management lends itself to communicating how different departments relate to each other."
When a department gathers for a meeting, leaders make sure to include employees who will be directly affected by the decisions even if they are from a different area of the company. "When we make a decision, it's critical to understand the crux of the challenge. The only way to effectively do that is to include those affected by the challenge as part of creating the solution," says Chenard. "It's not a formal program. It's just the way we work."
Management at GreenPages also realizes that employees need help balancing their professional and personal lives, and the company's approach offers lessons for other small and midsized employers. Not long after its founding, GreenPages started an on-site childcare program, providing care for infants through preschoolers. About 20 percent of employees took advantage of this program. The company reviews the rates annually, surveying comparable programs in the area to see what they charge for their services. The aim is to find rates that are competitive, and, more importantly, affordable for the employees. It's the convenience as much as the competitive costs that make on-site childcare truly appealing. "It's great to be able to go over to the center during the day and see how they're doing," says Chenard, who has two children in the program. "And it's wonderful to be able to build a relationship between your children and work. Having a child be a part of knowing where you spend your days is very meaningful."
GreenPages provides the federally mandated 12 weeks of maternity leave and also extends this benefit to those who adopt. "I just adopted a little girl and was able to spend the same amount of time with her [as a mother would with her newborn]," says Gagne. "This was really important to me."
GreenPages' cross-training program helps make maternity or adoption leaves and even vacation manageable for those employees still at work. Employees are prepped well in advance for taking on a colleague's responsibilities so there is no disruption of service to customers.
If employees need a serious break, the company offers mini-sabbaticals of four weeks with full pay. GreenPages awards these sabbaticals to people who have been with the company at least five years. Employees can take the time off in one chunk or split it up. "It makes sense," says Chenard. "You've shown your commitment to the organization and have typically been exposed to different departments or positions, providing a tremendous value to the organization. You deserve a reward. At the same time, you have the opportunity to reflect on your time here, and, hopefully, come back with a refreshed perspective. GreenPages can only benefit from this offering."
For shorter breaks, GreenPages offers Sanity Days to all employees with who have worked six months or more. There are an additional 3 days off per quarter on top of sick days and vacation days. The time off must be taken within each quarter. The purpose is to enable employees to take time off for themselves or their family, whatever those needs may be.
These programs have kept employees engaged and given them a feeling of being appreciated. The company also benefits by a reduction in hiring and training costs. "I think that GreenPages is good at helping people capitalize on where their strengths are," says Chenard. "We help our staff develop new opportunities and move in different directions." For employees, it's ultimately the opportunity to work in a challenging environment where they can contribute, continue to learn, and live their life that makes a job rewarding and helps generates strong productivity.
Company: GreenPages, Inc.
Web site: www.greenpages.com
Industry: IT Solutions Provider
Location: Kittery, Maine
Number of employees: 125
Sales: N/A
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