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OPINION
The radical power of listening
Companies that place a high value on listening to and investing in their employees have been more effective at attracting and retaining top talent.
W ork has changed. Not just in the advances of technology driving innovation in infrastructure, but the relationship that employers have with their employees. “Employee experience” has become an essential element in building a successful company, and those companies have been more effective at attracting and retaining top talent by placing a high value on investing in their employees.
Frank McIllwain, PE
At Garver, we’ve taken that a step farther. We’ve gone beyond professional development programs, a world- class wellness program, and an annual companywide Summit; we’ve done something truly revolutionary – we’ve listened. On the surface, that might seem far from novel – but listening to our employees has allowed us to build the foundation of Garver’s award-winning culture and made Garver one of Zweig Group’s Best Firms To Work For for eight years running. From these conversations, we’ve learned what matters most to our people – and we’ve taken those elements to build the best employee experience in the industry. ■ ■ Our people, no matter who they are, want to give back. In previous generations, people felt as though they needed to have significant
financial resources before they started giving back – donating time, donating money. But this new generation? They’re wanting to start earlier. They’re wanting to spend their entire lives giving back. They want to know their employer is going to take that extra step toward empowering them to give back to their community in a significant, meaningful way – and so we’ve made that a fundamental part of our company’s culture with GarverGives, our corporate giving program. What does that look like in practice? Well, since 2015, our people have supported more than 500 organizations, invested more than $1.2 million in funding, and devoted more than 5,200 employee community service hours.
See FRANK MCILLWAIN, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 18, 2022, ISSUE 1449
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