Work/Life Fit
Challenge
To attract and retain diverse talent, CECP needed to adjust its rigid policies and provide more opportunity for employees to integrate their personal and work lives at CECP.
Actions
CECP undertook a 6-week pilot titled High Performance and Work Life Fit Initiative designed to allow our employees greater flexibility to support its best work, the organization’s growth, and its ability for its employees to bring their best selves to work each day. They key was starting with a foundation of expectation for high performance, supported by rigorous annual and quarterly goal setting. From there, employees were given “guardrails” of flexibility to support their achievement of these goals. What did they need to be high performing, both in and out of the office?
CECP launched the High Performance and Work Life Fit Initiative recognizing:
- That the CECP team of talent is recruited and managed to be high potential, high performing, and flexible to the demands of our work.
- That technology and globalization have expanded the workday and workplace beyond a M-F, 9-5 timeframe and exclusively onsite teamwork.
- That high-performance individuals carry ambitious standards all around, not only for their work performance, but also for their lives, their families, and their role in their communities.
To successfully integrate this flexibility, CECP secured a consultant to help ensure that it was equipped with the proper goals, strategies, and metrics.
Outcomes
The post-pilot check-in showed incredible results and the team unanimously agreed to continue with the High Performance and Work Life Fit Initiative. CECP continues to work closely with its consultant to ensure all expectations are met.
CECP is proud to offer flexibility to all employees as well as potential candidates, particularly when speaking about the offered benefits package. The organization is better equipped to support and retain a diverse subset of employees. CECP has come a long way in just a few short years and has no doubt that its highly talented staff members greatly value the flexibility that is offered and the dynamic, inclusive culture that it has cultivated.
Quote
As both a social strategy consultant to leading global companies and an employer of diverse talent, the CECP Corporate Force for Good has the power to influence diversity and inclusion at many levels. The organization is walking the talk as it counsels companies on utilizing their skills and resources to provide safe and inclusive communities that can create competitive advantage. With 70% of its workforce women or people of color, this includes looking inward at how it can reduce the pain and stress of “coming to work” by creating a high-performing flexible and collaborative workplace that can empower and enable its team to bring their best to work.