This spring, infrastructure engineering services firm Ultieg promoted Sara Chapman to CHRO after two years as director of HR. Now, she has her sights set on how HR can make the “biggest impact,” an ambition that she says is directly tied to being in “lockstep” with where the organization is headed, while deepening and advancing company culture. The company, which employs 1,700 across North America and Costa Rica, has long had what Chapman calls a “people-centric culture.”
“How do we keep our people at the core of what we do?” is the ongoing refrain that drives decision-making at Ultieg, Chapman says. It’s a question whose answer shows up in several ways across the business.
Perhaps most visible is its employee stock ownership plan, which Chapman says, helps employees feel invested in the company, and vice versa.
“They feel empowered to share their thoughts and feedback; it’s like, ‘We’re in this together,’ ” Chapman says.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were more than 6,500 registered ESOPs in the U.S. in 2023, the last year for which data was available, with the number of ESOP participants growing by about 8% over the previous decade.
The SECURE Act 2.0 of 2022 established the Employee Ownership Initiative to promote the benefits of employee ownership, including through ESOPs, which could lead to more employers getting on board.
Candidate interest in the ESOP has been surprisingly high, Chapman notes, and has given Ultieg a leg up in a highly competitive industry currently experiencing a talent shortage.
“I didn’t realize how much the ESOP model would play a factor, even in recruiting, where more candidates than I realized ask a lot about the ESOP,” she says. “They’re interested in joining an organization where your voice matters and you have a stake in the outcomes.”
Beyond the ESOP
While the ESOP model creates a “wonderful foundation” for how to bring a people-centric culture to life, Chapman says ESOPs don’t guarantee a sustainable culture strategy. “You can’t just rely on an ESOP model alone,” she cautions.
At Ultieg, leadership has been intentional about soliciting and acting on employee feedback, as well. Through efforts like town halls and leadership forums, senior leaders gather frequent feedback from employees and consider it meaningfully to shape business decisions, Chapman says.
Employee listening has also been key in Ultieg’s policymaking around workplace flexibility. Where possible, the company allows employees to work hybrid or remotely.
Retaining a people-centric culture with a dispersed workforce requires a significant degree of intentionality, Chapman says, such as the company’s monthly Mugs and Meetups program. The initiative, launched in 2024, randomly matches Ultieg employees for a virtual cup of coffee, averaging about 50 connections a month and 1,500 connections since its inception. Employees can take photos of their coffee chat and post them to the Culture page on the company’s employee experience platform.
Other intentional efforts around culture and connection include Ultieg’s five ERGs, its Culture Committee that hosts events throughout the year and a robust series of recognition programs.
Workplace flexibility has “been a really big cultural benefit to us and a business benefit,” Chapman says. “But it does mean we have to do extra to stay connected and really be intentional so that we don’t lose those things that are core to our culture.”
Credit: Source link
