Brightwing Partners with Forgotten Harvest to Feed Those in Need
Day in and day out, Brightwingers work on forging relationships to do what we do best: matching candidates with our clients. We take the time to understand what clients are looking for in job candidates and what job candidates are looking for in their next position. When the time is right, we match the two together.
There is one day a year, though, when we get to work for another worthy cause: feeding those in need.
For years, Brightwing has participated in a VTO (Volunteer Time Off) Day. On this day, all Brightwingers have the opportunity to work together for the same non-profit organization. As of late, Brightwing’s non-profit of choice has been Forgotten Harvest.
Year after year, we keep going back to Forgotten Harvest’s Farm in Fenton, Michigan to help harvest fruit and veggies and, ultimately, feed families in need.
Brightwing has found its annual VTO Day produces a host of benefits that go beyond simply working for a charitable cause:
Brightwing Partners with Forgotten Harvest to Feed Those in Need
Day in and day out, Brightwingers work on forging relationships to do what we do best: matching candidates with our clients. We take the time to understand what clients are looking for in job candidates and what job candidates are looking for in their next position. When the time is right, we match the two together.
There is one day a year, though, when we get to work for another worthy cause: feeding those in need.
For years, Brightwing has participated in a VTO (Volunteer Time Off) Day. On this day, all Brightwingers have the opportunity to work together for the same non-profit organization. As of late, Brightwing’s non-profit of choice has been Forgotten Harvest.
Year after year, we keep going back to Forgotten Harvest’s Farm in Fenton, Michigan to help harvest fruit and veggies and, ultimately, feed families in need.
Brightwing has found its annual VTO Day produces a host of benefits that go beyond simply working for a charitable cause:
Improved teamwork and collaboration
This year, Forgotten Harvest assigned Brightwing the task of picking poblano peppers. By the end of the day, after combing rows upon rows of plants, Brightwing’s harvest totaled 765 pounds. We could not have done this without teamwork and communication. After all, one person can’t pick 765 pounds of poblano peppers in just a few short hours. The coordination and collaboration needed to effectively and efficiently pick poblano peppers taught us lessons and strategies we will bring back to the office with us.Stronger relationships between employees
A huge benefit of a VTO Day with Forgotten Harvest is the opportunity to get out of the office and into a different work environment. There’s a level of bonding that can occur when you’re not talking at a water cooler or over cubicle walls. Perhaps it’s that being outside of the office leaves one more inclined to talk about topics other than work. VTO Days provide a wonderful opportunity for coworkers to get to know each other in a different way, outside of a working relationship.Boosted morale and engagement
Volunteering is proven to have a positive impact on both mental and physical health. It helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. In our case, volunteering with Forgotten Harvest left our employees feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to go back to work. If you’re looking to plan a VTO day for your company, we suggest searching for local non-profits that are looking for volunteers. It may also be worthwhile to ask around in your company to see if one of your employees is already a volunteer somewhere. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
Brightwing's Mini Summit Tracks Progress on Year's Goals
Checking in on the progress you’ve made toward accomplishing set goals is just as important as setting those goals in the first place.
That’s exactly what Brightwing’s first annual Mini Summit set out to do.
Our full-sized Annual Summit takes place in January; this event includes two days of annual meetings, SWOT analyses, goal setting, and team building activities. The Mini Summit has a similar agenda, just in a half-day format.
This year’s Mini Summit Agenda included:
- Our Quarterly Meeting
- A tie-breaker game to decide the winner of July’s Link Up Cup, our Q3 storytelling contest focused on “relationshipping”
- An all-company viewing of Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk on body language with smaller breakout groups for discussion
- An AI experiment
- Lunch
Brightwing's Mini Summit Tracks Progress on Year's Goals
Checking in on the progress you’ve made toward accomplishing set goals is just as important as setting those goals in the first place.
That’s exactly what Brightwing’s first annual Mini Summit set out to do.
Our full-sized Annual Summit takes place in January; this event includes two days of annual meetings, SWOT analyses, goal setting, and team building activities. The Mini Summit has a similar agenda, just in a half-day format.
This year’s Mini Summit Agenda included:
- Our Quarterly Meeting
- A tie-breaker game to decide the winner of July’s Link Up Cup, our Q3 storytelling contest focused on “relationshipping”
- An all-company viewing of Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk on body language with smaller breakout groups for discussion
- An AI experiment
- Lunch
How to Use Take Your Kids to Work Day to Build a Stronger Company Culture
Brightwing hosted its first annual Bring Your Kids to Work Day on August 17th. National Bring Your Kids to Work Day is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday of April, but Brightwing decided to host its event on August 17th, during the summertime, to maximize participation.
The lineup of activities for this event included something for every age, an important component considering the age range of attendees: 3 years old to 15 years old.
All in all, the event ended up being a massive success. Hosting a Bring Your Kid(s) to Work Day can produce a host of benefits, many of which we experienced firsthand:
1. Start nurturing kids’ professional potential early
It may sound tongue-in-cheek, but the reality is: it’s good for kids to get exposure to different kinds of workplaces, early and often. Many children don’t have a good understanding of what their parents do all day at work. Bring Your Kids to Work Day gives them a chance to see their parents in their professional element and learn more about the different types of jobs that exist. The first planned activity for Bring Your Kids to Work Day was an office tour. Each department was a destination on the tour, and the kids got to learn a little bit about what each department does. Trivia and prizes were interspersed throughout this activity too.2. Retain and Attract Top Talent
Hosting an event like this can be a sign that an employer sees their employees not just as workers, but as whole people. It can play a part in a larger strategy of helping hardworking teammates to feel fulfilled in many facets of their lives. Brightwing prides itself on fostering a family-like atmosphere and this was especially evident during the arts and crafts session, where the amount of children in the room easily doubled the amount of parents in the room. Of the three craft stations, one included coloring pages with the faces of each child’s parent, another with rocks and paint pens, the third with materials for gluing onto construction paper to make a jellyfish.3. Build Relationships Among Employees
When employees bring their children to work, it gives them a chance to bond with their colleagues over their shared experiences as parents. This can help to create a more cohesive and supportive work environment. Brightwing’s Bring Your Kids to Work Day definitely helped forge even closer bonds among the team. After all, there’s no better way to really get to know someone than by spending time with their families.4. Boost Employee Morale and Engagement
Employees appreciate it when their companies recognize and support their families. Allowing employees to bring their children to work can help to create a more positive and supportive work environment. This is especially true when you take into account the joy a Bring Your Kids Day to Work can bring. Laughter relieves stress and spurs creativity, collaboration, analytic precision, and productivity. Laughter also boosts engagement and well-being. Whether laughing at a silly joke a kid made or recounting funny stories about raising your own kids, your employees are reaping the benefits. The day ended with pizza and ice cream, which parents and their children alike enjoyed after a busy morning. Brightwing’s first Bring Your Kid(s) to Work Day was a smashing success that received rave reviews from the kids, their parents, and even employees who enjoyed seeing some new, younger faces in the office. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
How to Use Take Your Kids to Work Day to Build a Stronger Company Culture
Brightwing hosted its first annual Bring Your Kids to Work Day on August 17th. National Bring Your Kids to Work Day is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday of April, but Brightwing decided to host its event on August 17th, during the summertime, to maximize participation.
The lineup of activities for this event included something for every age, an important component considering the age range of attendees: 3 years old to 15 years old.
All in all, the event ended up being a massive success. Hosting a Bring Your Kid(s) to Work Day can produce a host of benefits, many of which we experienced firsthand:
1. Start nurturing kids’ professional potential early
It may sound tongue-in-cheek, but the reality is: it’s good for kids to get exposure to different kinds of workplaces, early and often. Many children don’t have a good understanding of what their parents do all day at work. Bring Your Kids to Work Day gives them a chance to see their parents in their professional element and learn more about the different types of jobs that exist. The first planned activity for Bring Your Kids to Work Day was an office tour. Each department was a destination on the tour, and the kids got to learn a little bit about what each department does. Trivia and prizes were interspersed throughout this activity too.2. Retain and Attract Top Talent
Hosting an event like this can be a sign that an employer sees their employees not just as workers, but as whole people. It can play a part in a larger strategy of helping hardworking teammates to feel fulfilled in many facets of their lives. Brightwing prides itself on fostering a family-like atmosphere and this was especially evident during the arts and crafts session, where the amount of children in the room easily doubled the amount of parents in the room. Of the three craft stations, one included coloring pages with the faces of each child’s parent, another with rocks and paint pens, the third with materials for gluing onto construction paper to make a jellyfish.3. Build Relationships Among Employees
When employees bring their children to work, it gives them a chance to bond with their colleagues over their shared experiences as parents. This can help to create a more cohesive and supportive work environment. Brightwing’s Bring Your Kids to Work Day definitely helped forge even closer bonds among the team. After all, there’s no better way to really get to know someone than by spending time with their families.4. Boost Employee Morale and Engagement
Employees appreciate it when their companies recognize and support their families. Allowing employees to bring their children to work can help to create a more positive and supportive work environment. This is especially true when you take into account the joy a Bring Your Kids Day to Work can bring. Laughter relieves stress and spurs creativity, collaboration, analytic precision, and productivity. Laughter also boosts engagement and well-being. Whether laughing at a silly joke a kid made or recounting funny stories about raising your own kids, your employees are reaping the benefits. The day ended with pizza and ice cream, which parents and their children alike enjoyed after a busy morning. Brightwing’s first Bring Your Kid(s) to Work Day was a smashing success that received rave reviews from the kids, their parents, and even employees who enjoyed seeing some new, younger faces in the office. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
Brightwing Named Crain’s Best Place to Work in Michigan 2023
Family-like atmosphere. Open-door communication. Employee growth.
These are the main reasons that Brightwing has been named the overall 10th (out of 100) best place to work in Michigan. In the small company category, Brightwing was named the 5th best place to work. Of all the listed aspects that make Brightwing the best place to work, one reigned above all others: employee growth. In the words of one Brightwinger, “A lot of companies invest in their people – offering up great budgets for training and development. Brightwing does that, but actually goes a step further. Leadership actively coaches us through scenarios that come up day to day to help us approach things differently and better. I’ve found mentors in many of our leaders, in fact – not just in my own boss. Compared to the other companies I’ve worked for, Brightwing’s commitment to instilling leadership skills in each of its people goes unsurpassed.” Brightwing’s President, Jeff Genovich, shares this sentiment: “We value internal development above almost all else. Every employee comes to Brightwing with potential, and our goal is to take an individualized approach in order to cultivate and realize that potential. We want our employees to take risks, learn, and continue to get better.” Though employee growth was the top-cited aspect of Brightwing that makes it a great place to work, family-like atmosphere and open-door communication are just as significant factors. As one Brightwinger put it, “People want to work at Brightwing because of the culture and the people. The culture is one that promotes flexibility, work/life balance, collaboration, and employee development. I know these are stereotypical things to say about your workplace, but when it comes to Brightwing these things are true. Brightwing is a people-first organization in the way that, as much as the company values productivity and performance, it values the health and happiness of its employees above all else.”About Crain’s Best Places to Work
To be considered a best place to work, companies had to participate in Crain’s Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan Program. This program involves a two-part survey process. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed, analyzed, and used the data and their expertise to determine the final rankings. Crain’s Detroit Business unveiled the rankings of the 2023 Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan in a special section on August 28.About Brightwing
Founded in 1973, Brightwing is a recruiting and staffing agency dedicated to championing human potential. Brightwing serves engineering/design, information technology, finance/accounting, and human resource positions. Brightwing is headquartered in Troy, MI with offices in Plano, TX and Davie, FL. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
Brightwing Named Crain’s Best Place to Work in Michigan 2023
Family-like atmosphere. Open-door communication. Employee growth.
These are the main reasons that Brightwing has been named the overall 10th (out of 100) best place to work in Michigan. In the small company category, Brightwing was named the 5th best place to work. Of all the listed aspects that make Brightwing the best place to work, one reigned above all others: employee growth. In the words of one Brightwinger, “A lot of companies invest in their people – offering up great budgets for training and development. Brightwing does that, but actually goes a step further. Leadership actively coaches us through scenarios that come up day to day to help us approach things differently and better. I’ve found mentors in many of our leaders, in fact – not just in my own boss. Compared to the other companies I’ve worked for, Brightwing’s commitment to instilling leadership skills in each of its people goes unsurpassed.” Brightwing’s President, Jeff Genovich, shares this sentiment: “We value internal development above almost all else. Every employee comes to Brightwing with potential, and our goal is to take an individualized approach in order to cultivate and realize that potential. We want our employees to take risks, learn, and continue to get better.” Though employee growth was the top-cited aspect of Brightwing that makes it a great place to work, family-like atmosphere and open-door communication are just as significant factors. As one Brightwinger put it, “People want to work at Brightwing because of the culture and the people. The culture is one that promotes flexibility, work/life balance, collaboration, and employee development. I know these are stereotypical things to say about your workplace, but when it comes to Brightwing these things are true. Brightwing is a people-first organization in the way that, as much as the company values productivity and performance, it values the health and happiness of its employees above all else.”About Crain’s Best Places to Work
To be considered a best place to work, companies had to participate in Crain’s Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan Program. This program involves a two-part survey process. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed, analyzed, and used the data and their expertise to determine the final rankings. Crain’s Detroit Business unveiled the rankings of the 2023 Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan in a special section on August 28.About Brightwing
Founded in 1973, Brightwing is a recruiting and staffing agency dedicated to championing human potential. Brightwing serves engineering/design, information technology, finance/accounting, and human resource positions. Brightwing is headquartered in Troy, MI with offices in Plano, TX and Davie, FL. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
Brightwing Named a Top Rated IT & Engineering Staffing Firm
Brightwing has overcome the “recruiter stereotype.” The stereotype that characterizes recruiters as pushy, selfish, and deceitful (among other things). On July 18th, 2023 Brightwing was named a top rated IT and engineering staffing firm by Great Recruiters.
Great Recruiters is a candidate experience and management platform that solicits and measures feedback from tens of thousands of candidates from hundreds of recruiting firms across the country.
Brightwing earned this distinction by demonstrating success in the following areas:
- Capturing real-time feedback from candidates, clients, and placed talent
- Automating instant action on feedback
- Measuring & improving organizational performance
- Promoting success stories and building social proof to elevate their online reputation
About Brightwing
Founded in 1973, Brightwing is a recruiting and staffing agency dedicated to championing human potential. Brightwing serves engineering/design, information technology, finance/accounting, and human resource positions. Brightwing is headquartered in Troy, MI with offices in Plano, TX and Davie, FL. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
Brightwing Named a Top Rated IT & Engineering Staffing Firm
Brightwing has overcome the “recruiter stereotype.” The stereotype that characterizes recruiters as pushy, selfish, and deceitful (among other things). On July 18th, 2023 Brightwing was named a top rated IT and engineering staffing firm by Great Recruiters.
Great Recruiters is a candidate experience and management platform that solicits and measures feedback from tens of thousands of candidates from hundreds of recruiting firms across the country.
Brightwing earned this distinction by demonstrating success in the following areas:
- Capturing real-time feedback from candidates, clients, and placed talent
- Automating instant action on feedback
- Measuring & improving organizational performance
- Promoting success stories and building social proof to elevate their online reputation
About Brightwing
Founded in 1973, Brightwing is a recruiting and staffing agency dedicated to championing human potential. Brightwing serves engineering/design, information technology, finance/accounting, and human resource positions. Brightwing is headquartered in Troy, MI with offices in Plano, TX and Davie, FL. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
How to Attract Top Talent in Today's Market
Brightwing’s President Jeff Genovich lays out the best hiring practices for how to attract top talent in today’s market.
Jeff tells us, in times like these when you’re looking to add critical people, the electrical engineering and embedded systems talent, the data scientists and the software developers of the world, the forces are actually aligned AGAINST US right now:
Don’t believe what you hear out there.
If you’re scratching your head wondering how to attract top talent, you’re not alone. It’s actually harder for leaders to hire for critical roles now than it was two years ago. Because critical talent isn’t coming to you and applying on your website, and they’re not going on Indeed and making themselves available. The fact is, with all these layoffs, these organizations have freed up a lot of budget in order to retain the talent that they depend on.You need a strong magnet to pull these needles out of the haystack.
Counteroffers are coming in fast, and that is a clear sign that we have a talent shortage on our hands. Over the course of the last six months, we’ve seen a huge rise in counteroffers, and we’re actually seeing employers paying 15% over market value in this market that we’re currently in today. Regardless of what we’re hearing in the market right now, there is a scarcity of talent, not a surplus of talent. And whether you’re working with your internal talent acquisition team or an external agency, they need to work with a greater sense of urgency than they ever have – a greater sense of urgency than they did even two years ago. With so much more available talent in this market, some recruiters may feel that hiring should actually be easier. They may feel that they would be doing themselves a disservice if they weren’t to go through all the extra resumes that may be flooding their inbox or doing nine extra interviews because the talent is available.If you’re slowing down the hiring process for critical roles, it’s the wrong strategy.
It’s natural to white knuckle the status quo and worry about change. But if you do that, like everyone else, you’re going to lose out on the opportunity to hire the talent to drive your organization forward, and your talent acquisition process will fail.Caution should be built into your hiring process. It should look like due diligence. Not like indecision.
Get your hiring process tight, then speed it up. You need a strong recruitment plan in place if you want to land and retain the best talent. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
How to Attract Top Talent in Today's Market
Brightwing’s President Jeff Genovich lays out the best hiring practices for how to attract top talent in today’s market.
Jeff tells us, in times like these when you’re looking to add critical people, the electrical engineering and embedded systems talent, the data scientists and the software developers of the world, the forces are actually aligned AGAINST US right now:
Don’t believe what you hear out there.
If you’re scratching your head wondering how to attract top talent, you’re not alone. It’s actually harder for leaders to hire for critical roles now than it was two years ago. Because critical talent isn’t coming to you and applying on your website, and they’re not going on Indeed and making themselves available. The fact is, with all these layoffs, these organizations have freed up a lot of budget in order to retain the talent that they depend on.You need a strong magnet to pull these needles out of the haystack.
Counteroffers are coming in fast, and that is a clear sign that we have a talent shortage on our hands. Over the course of the last six months, we’ve seen a huge rise in counteroffers, and we’re actually seeing employers paying 15% over market value in this market that we’re currently in today. Regardless of what we’re hearing in the market right now, there is a scarcity of talent, not a surplus of talent. And whether you’re working with your internal talent acquisition team or an external agency, they need to work with a greater sense of urgency than they ever have – a greater sense of urgency than they did even two years ago. With so much more available talent in this market, some recruiters may feel that hiring should actually be easier. They may feel that they would be doing themselves a disservice if they weren’t to go through all the extra resumes that may be flooding their inbox or doing nine extra interviews because the talent is available.If you’re slowing down the hiring process for critical roles, it’s the wrong strategy.
It’s natural to white knuckle the status quo and worry about change. But if you do that, like everyone else, you’re going to lose out on the opportunity to hire the talent to drive your organization forward, and your talent acquisition process will fail.Caution should be built into your hiring process. It should look like due diligence. Not like indecision.
Get your hiring process tight, then speed it up. You need a strong recruitment plan in place if you want to land and retain the best talent. Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
5 Lessons in Employee Engagement from the 2023 Brightwing Annual Summit
Data from the Corporate Leadership Council suggests that employees who are engaged at work perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave their current company.
Despite early signs of power shifting back to employers, employees still are more likely to quit—or “quiet quit”—than pre-pandemic. Losing an employee is costly, as is replacing them.
The more engagement opportunities you offer your employees, the better:
- Making employee engagement a key part of your strategy
- Allowing employees’ insights to inform organizational strategy
- Giving people time and space to make good relationships
- Providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow
1. Involve all employees in company strategy
Generally, only 30% of employees feel like their opinion matters at work. If you want to buck this trend, you need to go above and beyond in the opposite direction. One of the specific objectives of the Summit was to gather the whole team together in a conference-like setting. There were a number of reasons for this approach:- We truly believe that every team member’s opinion matters, and want to hear from all perspectives
- Different people have different communication styles—a variety of activities is necessary to draw out quality feedback from everyone
- Our employees aren’t just cogs in a machine—we wanted to provide opportunities for fun and engagement, especially since they’ve never met some of these colleagues face-to-face
2. Prepare the environment for open, honest communication
Let’s face it: most employees don’t feel comfortable speaking up at work. And believe it or not, that’s not a problem with the employee—but with leadership. The reason people struggle to speak up is because they don’t have a sense of psychological safety. That is, employees feel they can take risks, express concerns, ask questions, and admit mistakes—without fear of consequences or retribution. So if you actually want employees to be open and honest in their feedback, you need to establish a psychologically safe environment:- Encourage risk-taking and even failure
- Be upfront admitting your own mistakes
- Praise employees who ask questions or express concerns
- Celebrating small wins
- Overcoming hurdles and roadblocks to avoid burnout
- Leadership without a title
- Cross-company communication to improve how teams collaborate
3. Maximize feedback quality with group discussions
Every organization has their extroverts and introverts. Most of the time, getting the extroverts to talk isn’t a problem. But the quieter, more introverted people on your team have valuable insights to share. Part of your employee engagement process should be finding ways to get them involved in the conversation. During the Summit, we used a group, roundtable format to do just that. Over the course of the conversation, each person built on the ideas of the other, which created high quality feedback. We found that 6-8 people per roundtable was the ideal size to have a good conversation. Large enough that people could bounce ideas off each other, but not so large that it jeopardized the team’s psychological safety.4. Don’t just solicit employee feedback—act on it
A lot of companies claim they value employee feedback. But unless you actually act on it, it’s an empty promise. During last year’s Summit, we gathered many ideas, suggestions, and general feedback. We surveyed the team post-Summit to get an understanding of how they prioritized solutions. And here was one issue that leapt to the forefront: Going hybrid – working some days at home and some at the office each week – had helped Brightwingers see the special strengths of in-person work, and they wanted to double down on them. They spotted room for improvement and wanted the office to become a place they could collaborate more easily. In response, over the first quarter last year, we renovated underused office spaces and turned them into meeting rooms. And we built a new kitchenette, fully stocked with snacks and drinks. Collaboration happens so much more easily when you’ve got the right space and a full stomach.This year fell into a similar mold. The Brightwing team made it a priority post-Summit to put the feedback we received into motion:
- Meeting with team members to identify ways to celebrate small wins
- Working to address failures in a positive, opportunity-focused light
- Creating cheat sheets to define industry-specific acronyms & holding onboarding trainings on “inside-baseball” terminology
5. Don’t forget to have fun
Your employees aren’t just employees. They’re people. And unless you’re a workaholic, you don’t work all the time and always. That’s why, for decades, Brightwing has prioritized a positive company culture where employees genuinely connect and enjoy spending time with each other. We’ve got some pretty cool people on our team, and it would be a shame if we missed that because of an all-work-no-play mindset. During the Summit, we made sure to not just have serious conversations about the future of the company, but also have some fun. So we decided to do a Nailed It! style cake-decorating contest. Different teams used icing, food coloring, and various cake toppings to create a design that was original, neat, and colorful. Then—and this was the best part—they had to “pitch” the cake to Brightwing’s CEO, Aaron Chernow and former president, George Opitz. The theme was “dynamic duos.” And the winners of the competition did a stellar cake-depiction of Abbott & Costello’s “Who’s on First?” skit. It was a total riot! Everyone had fun, and we all walked away with a better understanding of each other—not just as teammates, but as people.Final thoughts on the Brightwing Annual Summit
If you want employees to feel bought into the organization, you have to involve them in decision-making. This means asking for feedback, preparing an environment where they feel safe to be open and honest, and actually using that feedback to make strategic decisions. Brightwing’s Annual Summit is proof that engaging employees and valuing their opinions is key to a solid culture and long-term retention. We hope the lessons we’ve learned along the way will be helpful to you. P.S. If you want a sample of some of the fun that was had at Brightwing’s Summit, check out these videos: Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
5 Lessons in Employee Engagement from the 2023 Brightwing Annual Summit
Data from the Corporate Leadership Council suggests that employees who are engaged at work perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave their current company.
Despite early signs of power shifting back to employers, employees still are more likely to quit—or “quiet quit”—than pre-pandemic. Losing an employee is costly, as is replacing them.
The more engagement opportunities you offer your employees, the better:
- Making employee engagement a key part of your strategy
- Allowing employees’ insights to inform organizational strategy
- Giving people time and space to make good relationships
- Providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow
1. Involve all employees in company strategy
Generally, only 30% of employees feel like their opinion matters at work. If you want to buck this trend, you need to go above and beyond in the opposite direction. One of the specific objectives of the Summit was to gather the whole team together in a conference-like setting. There were a number of reasons for this approach:- We truly believe that every team member’s opinion matters, and want to hear from all perspectives
- Different people have different communication styles—a variety of activities is necessary to draw out quality feedback from everyone
- Our employees aren’t just cogs in a machine—we wanted to provide opportunities for fun and engagement, especially since they’ve never met some of these colleagues face-to-face
2. Prepare the environment for open, honest communication
Let’s face it: most employees don’t feel comfortable speaking up at work. And believe it or not, that’s not a problem with the employee—but with leadership. The reason people struggle to speak up is because they don’t have a sense of psychological safety. That is, employees feel they can take risks, express concerns, ask questions, and admit mistakes—without fear of consequences or retribution. So if you actually want employees to be open and honest in their feedback, you need to establish a psychologically safe environment:- Encourage risk-taking and even failure
- Be upfront admitting your own mistakes
- Praise employees who ask questions or express concerns
- Celebrating small wins
- Overcoming hurdles and roadblocks to avoid burnout
- Leadership without a title
- Cross-company communication to improve how teams collaborate
3. Maximize feedback quality with group discussions
Every organization has their extroverts and introverts. Most of the time, getting the extroverts to talk isn’t a problem. But the quieter, more introverted people on your team have valuable insights to share. Part of your employee engagement process should be finding ways to get them involved in the conversation. During the Summit, we used a group, roundtable format to do just that. Over the course of the conversation, each person built on the ideas of the other, which created high quality feedback. We found that 6-8 people per roundtable was the ideal size to have a good conversation. Large enough that people could bounce ideas off each other, but not so large that it jeopardized the team’s psychological safety.4. Don’t just solicit employee feedback—act on it
A lot of companies claim they value employee feedback. But unless you actually act on it, it’s an empty promise. During last year’s Summit, we gathered many ideas, suggestions, and general feedback. We surveyed the team post-Summit to get an understanding of how they prioritized solutions. And here was one issue that leapt to the forefront: Going hybrid – working some days at home and some at the office each week – had helped Brightwingers see the special strengths of in-person work, and they wanted to double down on them. They spotted room for improvement and wanted the office to become a place they could collaborate more easily. In response, over the first quarter last year, we renovated underused office spaces and turned them into meeting rooms. And we built a new kitchenette, fully stocked with snacks and drinks. Collaboration happens so much more easily when you’ve got the right space and a full stomach.This year fell into a similar mold. The Brightwing team made it a priority post-Summit to put the feedback we received into motion:
- Meeting with team members to identify ways to celebrate small wins
- Working to address failures in a positive, opportunity-focused light
- Creating cheat sheets to define industry-specific acronyms & holding onboarding trainings on “inside-baseball” terminology
5. Don’t forget to have fun
Your employees aren’t just employees. They’re people. And unless you’re a workaholic, you don’t work all the time and always. That’s why, for decades, Brightwing has prioritized a positive company culture where employees genuinely connect and enjoy spending time with each other. We’ve got some pretty cool people on our team, and it would be a shame if we missed that because of an all-work-no-play mindset. During the Summit, we made sure to not just have serious conversations about the future of the company, but also have some fun. So we decided to do a Nailed It! style cake-decorating contest. Different teams used icing, food coloring, and various cake toppings to create a design that was original, neat, and colorful. Then—and this was the best part—they had to “pitch” the cake to Brightwing’s CEO, Aaron Chernow and former president, George Opitz. The theme was “dynamic duos.” And the winners of the competition did a stellar cake-depiction of Abbott & Costello’s “Who’s on First?” skit. It was a total riot! Everyone had fun, and we all walked away with a better understanding of each other—not just as teammates, but as people.Final thoughts on the Brightwing Annual Summit
If you want employees to feel bought into the organization, you have to involve them in decision-making. This means asking for feedback, preparing an environment where they feel safe to be open and honest, and actually using that feedback to make strategic decisions. Brightwing’s Annual Summit is proof that engaging employees and valuing their opinions is key to a solid culture and long-term retention. We hope the lessons we’ve learned along the way will be helpful to you. P.S. If you want a sample of some of the fun that was had at Brightwing’s Summit, check out these videos: Looking to hire? Looking for a job? Contact us today! Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
Brightwing Named Great Recruiters Certified 2022
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We are proud to announce that Brightwing has been named Great Recruiters Certified—for the second consecutive year—in recognition of creating a top-ranked candidate experience.
Great Recruiters is a candidate experience and management platform that solicits and measures feedback from tens of thousands of candidates from hundreds of recruiting firms across the country. Great Recruiters measures recruiting and staffing firms’ individual recruiters against industry benchmarks by soliciting continuous feedback from candidates throughout their journey with a firm. “It’s truly an honor to be recognized as a top-performing recruiting company,” says Jeff Genovich, Brightwing’s Executive Vice President of Sales. Genovich continues: “It’s a testament to the talent of our recruiters and to the strength of the recruiting training program our senior recruiters lead. I am so looking forward to watching our recruiting team grow in this mold, providing unforgettable experiences to an ever-growing talent pool.” Great Recruiter’s benchmarks are based on the key components of a candidate’s recruiting experience: genuineness, responsiveness, experience, transparency, and whether or not a recruiter acts as an advisor. Brightwing and its recruiters measure as “best” in each of these categories. Our Great Recruiters Certified status is a testament to Brightwing’s commitment to deliver the highest quality experience to our clients and candidates. We’ve earned this distinction because we lead our clients and candidates through a continuous high-touch, and high-quality experience throughout the entire recruitment lifecycle. “The feedback we receive from the Great Recruiters platform helps us continuously improve upon our processes to ensure that we’re always providing a top-notch experience for our clients and candidates,” explains Mick Narusch, Brightwing’s Executive Vice President of Operations. We are proud of our recruiters and our recruiting leaders for achieving this distinction. Cheers to being Great Recruiters Certified in 2021, 2022, and beyond! [vc_images_carousel images=”28320,28319″ img_size=”full” autoplay=”yes”]We’re hiring recruiters and salespeople of all skill levels.
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DOWNLOAD: 11 Habits of Successful People Managers eBook
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How to Hire, Onboard and Keep the Best Talent
Nearly a quarter of all new employees leave within a year. And up to 20% of all turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment. So, what do the most successful managers do to hire and KEEP their best talent? Download this ebook for advice on how to:- design interviews to maximize offer acceptance
- successfully onboard talent for a memorable new hire experience
- retain top employees well past the 1-year mark
Download our eBook for 11 habits that will help you hire, onboard, and retain top talent…
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DOWNLOAD: Leading Through a Crisis eBook
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Smart, empathetic leadership is important all the time, but especially during a crisis.
In this eBook, you’ll find 8 tips for managing your teams through crisis, including how to:- support remote employees
- infuse purpose into daily tasks
- ward off burnout (for yourself as a leader, and for your team members)
Download our eBook to help you create a sense of purpose and continuity as we live through this pandemic and its after-effects……
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[VIDEO] Ignore Employee Engagement at Your Own Risk
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Watch Brightwing President George Opitz discuss the perils of ignoring employee engagement.
QUESTION:
Why does employee engagement matter?
GEORGE: Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) in employee engagement outperform companies in their market segment that are in the bottom quartile of employee engagement by as much as 202%. So why should employee engagement matter to companies? Besides that we’re losing $400-$600 or $650 billion a year across the country? It’s really about how your organization is performing against the competitors. Because if you’ve got a competitor in your market space that has a highly engaged workforce, you’re getting beat every day.Looking to build a highly engaged team?
At Brightwing, our Talent Acquisition approach is one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. We know it’s a recipe that can work for you.let’s get to know each other
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