Empower, Inspire, Motivate

Astrong culture brings life and vitality to a company. It keeps employees engaged and motivated and, in its simplest definition, makes work fun. That might mean a game room, an exercise room, potlucks and social events, or friendly competitions such as trivia or ping pong tournaments. Sometimes it manifests itself in a chance to volunteer together or donate paid time off and money to coworkers dealing with crises in their personal lives. Or it might be an opportunity to get together and laugh at ourselves, as was the case with the employee childhood photos we had on display in our office recently.

Culture is crucial, and in the feature article starting on page 24, staff writer Kayla Prasek explores culture initiatives implemented at a few companies in our region and discusses with those employers how they’ve enhanced their businesses. Some companies emphasize communication in building culture, some focus on flexibility and others endorse collaborative work environments that promote teamwork and creativity. These organizations have been doing something right and they’re sharing some of their secrets.

Tucked into the middle of this issue of Prairie Business is our Corporate Communities special section, where employers explain in their own words why their current employees love their jobs and why new ones are eager to join their teams. We’ve also included a few interesting Q&As with experts, offering advice and insights into how to build and maintain a unique workplace culture.

With the shortage in the workforce felt by many industries in our part of the country, that culture becomes even more important to lure new hires and fill open positions. In the human resources feature story starting on page 30, HR managers and company executives discuss how the shortage has affected them and describe the steps they’re taking to solve the problem. Companies are getting creative and stepping outside comfort zones in sometimes desperate scenarios where qualified candidates are extremely hard to come by. Some are offering bonuses or education cost reimbursement, incentivizing referrals, updating and expanding benefits packages, developing robust training opportunities and stepping up communication within the ranks to improve morale. The solutions vary in different industries and employers are tasked to find the right ones for them.

In her new role as chief operating officer of Regional Health in Rapid City, S.D., Paulette Davidson will be hiring new physicians and nurses, and says investing in talented caregivers is a necessity. She is the focus of this month’s Business Insider, as she presides over a sizeable expansion at Regional Health in the midst of a changing health care landscape. She is firm in her stance that the patients’ needs must be at the center of all decisions in a health care organization. Read more about Davidson’s accomplishments in her field, starting on page 22.

And finally, Construction Corner in this issue examines the design and building progress of an entirely new campus for Minnkota Power Cooperative Inc. in Grand Forks, N.D. The new facilities will be more efficient, attractive and secure. The office’s new collaborative spaces and natural lighting are good culture enhancers, making this project a great fit for our February culture focus. Read more about the redesign on page 34. PB

KORRIE WENZEL, Publisher

LISA GIBSON, Editor

KAYLA PRASEK, Staff Writer

BETH BOHLMAN, Circulation Manager

KRIS WOLFF, Layout Design, Ad Design

Sales Director: JOHN FETSCH

701.212.1026 jfetsch@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Sales:

BRAD BOYD western ND/western SD 800.641.0683 bboyd@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

NICHOLE ERTMAN eastern ND/western MN 800. 477.6572 ext. 1162 nertman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com

Prairie Business magazine is published monthly by the Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company with offices at 375 2nd Avenue North, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Qualifying subscriptions are available free of charge. Back issue quantities are limited and subject to availability ($2/copy prepaid). The opinions of writers featured in Prairie Business are their own. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork are encouraged but will not be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Subscriptions Free subscriptions are available online to qualified requestors at www.prairiebizmag.com

Address corrections Prairie Business magazine PO Box 6008

Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008

Beth Bohlman: bbohlman@prairiebusinessmagazine.com