Our culture is informal. There’s no dress code and creativity flourishes. Impromptu ice cream parties or pizza for everyone during particularly hard stretches of work help keep the culture spontaneous and provide an occasional break from hard work.
The ASTD Vision states, “Create a world that works better” and at ASTD, we know that connecting our employees’ daily work to the organizations broader accomplishments is essential for success. Through Allstaffs, led by our CEO, and regular electronic communications, we articulate and share this mission with each employee along with the goals of our company to ensure our people have a sense of belonging and pride. Our CEO and Senior Managers set the bar high and show by example their commitment and passion for the organization. And we strive to create a connection for each of our employees, including a bonus program tied to their accomplishments as well as the company’s so that they know they are making a contribution to our purpose and success and that their individual job is important to that end. Our employees know when and how their jobs need to be done. At ASTD, we try to create an environment of trust and autonomy that encourages creativity and motivation and allows our employees to work to their full potential without being micromanaged.
Being leaders in the Workplace Learning and Development field, we know the value of providing our employees with the highest quality training opportunities and have established ASTD University, which provides our employees with online, onsite and offsite training opportunities. Focusing on the strengths and talents of each employee, we also encourage the development of their personal goals and provide them with growth opportunities when possible, within the organization.
ASTD cares for its people. This isn’t just a motto or passing focus. Every quarter, our CEO leads an AllStaff meeting to discuss our goals, strategies, and numbers. Suggestion boxes, meetings and weekly newsletters are a few ways we share information with our employees, while always encouraging feedback and letting our employees know that their opinions are valued and a critical part of shaping the success and future of ASTD.
ASTD also sponsors reward and relaxation events (often as a surprise), such as ice cream parties, game competitions, and trivia hours. In addition to the annual summer picnic and winter holiday party, the employee-run ASTD FunTimes committee plans several fun activities throughout the year, including an annual Halloween Costume contest, Secret Santa gift exchange, and occasional potluck breakfasts and lunches. This same committee also organizes various charitable activities, like a Thanksgiving food drive benefiting a nearby homeless shelter, providing back-to-school supplies for area children, accepting donations of Christmas presents for Toys for Tots, and supporting the ASPCA through employees’ monetary donations.
We believe that through these individualized and group expressions of appreciation, and by giving our employees the opportunity to be actively involved in their community, we are developing relationships with our staffers that go beyond just an ordinary job.
Our employees, called ASTDers, will always be our biggest asset. We want them to be proud of their company, our mission and goals and to know that they are truly making a difference in the world.