Fostering Fun

Companies emphasize workplace culture to keep employees happy and committed to excellence

BY KAYLA PRASEK

Matt Sagaser describes Bobcat as a “traditional innovative company” with innovative culture. But when the Fargo, N.D.-based equipment manufacturer started designing the Bobcat Acceleration Center in Bismarck, N.D., in 2012, Sagaser, the center’s director, says it “became apparent we needed to redesign our culture because we were very traditional and not a very inspiring workplace.”

‘Who we are’

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Moving away from a workplace where “employees felt they always had to be in their cubicles,” Sagaser decided this new facility would have no offices for managers and directors and would be open and collaborative. The Acceleration Center has no assigned seating and has an open environment filled with natural light and modern furniture. When Sagaser presented the design to his employees, “people were angry and upset about it, but we told them to be OK with being uncomfortable. It was a risk for us, but this was the first time we really invested in our people. We knew we were doing this for the future of the company.”

Each company defines its own culture, whether it’s based on fun activities, volunteer work or collaboration. At JLG Architects, “culture is really who we are,” says Amanda Kosior, director of marketing for JLG. “All the work we do is a result of culture. Our motto is ‘design for life’ and everything we do fits into that.” Chief Operating Officer Michelle Allen says JLG “endeavors to be the firm of choice for top talent.” Kosior says culture needs to be built every day. “It’s not a checklist. It really is values-based. If you don’t understand the bigger ‘why,’ it’s hard to have strong culture.”

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At EAPC Architects Engineers, headquartered in Grand Forks, N.D., culture is centered around communication, collaboration and celebration. “We’ve worked hard to have effective, solid communication, both externally and internally,” says Lori Bakken, director of marketing. “We also focus on collaborating not just with our other offices but also with each other on projects. And for celebration, we make sure we don’t forget that we’ve worked hard to recognize that hard work.”

At Eide Bailly, headquartered in Fargo, culture revolves around three key elements — work-life balance, enjoy your job and have fun. “It’s the way we do business,” says Liz Stabenow, director of communication. “We live it and breathe it. We try to instill a good work-life balance. We’re more than an accounting firm.”

Karin Rudd, director of communication and development for Fargo-based Gate City Bank, says the company’s culture “goes down to our employees. They make it, because you can’t force it. We listen to our employees to learn what inspires them.”

Building Culture

A large element in how JLG built its culture is the young development practice group. “We created the group to help grow our company into a legacy company,” Allen says. “Because we have multiple offices, there were micro-cultures, so we took back our culture so the graduates right out of school are connected and speak the same language. We are one company and are all on the same page.”

To get to that point, JLG also had to build its culture from the top down and bottom up, Allen says. “It’s hard to set a vision with- out leadership, but it also takes a grassroots effort to grasp onto that vision and help it grow. Our employees have the ability to empower themselves.” Kosior says it’s important to “keep that small firm, one location mentality, no matter the size of the company.”

The backbone of EAPC’s culture has been internal communication, says Chief Operations Officer Wayne Dietrich. “That communication is very important to the people working on the projects. We’re not specialized in any one type of project, so we can reach out across offices to bring our best to the table.” Bakken says that helps foster the culture “that everyone feels like they’re empowered.” Rick Sandwick, director of human resources, says culture starts at the top, and EAPC’s partners have led the charge on the company’s culture.

As the company has opened new offices, it has worked hard to bring the same culture into each one, Dietrich says. “There used to be a lot more after-hours socializing, so that was how you spent time with your coworkers. Things have changed, so fun activities at work are the new way of socializing.”

Flexibility is the key to Eide Bailly’s culture, says Lisa Fitzgerald, human resources director. “If you manage your workload and communicate with your supervisor, you can leave to go to your child’s soccer game or wherever you need to be. I have never felt guilty about leaving work for something like that, which is a testament to the culture here.”

Building relationships with all employees in a collaborative, transparent work environment has been a key in building Gate City Bank’s culture, says Amy Durbin, marketing manager. “Culture is important because if employees are happy, then the customers are happy,” Rudd says.

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When the Bobcat Acceleration Center opened in August 2014, Sagaser and his team focused on encouraging the open collaborative environment and developing a theme of “going where the work is,” he says. “With unassigned seating, the point is to be able to move around and be more effective with your team. We designed an environment and built a culture to go with it. We gave back flexibility to our employees,” Sagaser says. The Acceleration Center houses 38 meeting rooms, half of which are not allowed to be reserved and are open to anyone to use, with reasonable rules to govern them.

Beyond Work

Kosior says JLG also makes sure its employees have fun together and have opportunities to engage beyond work. “This is a mainstay for us as we grow. We try to empower our staff. If they want to do something, we’ll make it happen. We don’t want anyone to feel like their ideas aren’t valued.”

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Part of the office is a quiet area, which seats about 40. The area has no rules, but its occupants must be quiet. Sagaser says it’s “another option” and allows employees to go where the work is. There are also a variety of tables and chairs placed throughout the facility because “80 percent of all innovation comes from chance encounters,” Sagaser says. “We’ve designed it so those conversations can continue.”

JLG organizes JLG Rocks, a community concert, each year in Grand Forks, and each location has a culture committee to plan fun events for employees. JLG Gives Back is also important to the company’s culture, as it gives employees the chance to help the communities behind their work, Kosior says.

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Community involvement and volunteerism are also important at EAPC, where employees are allowed to volunteer during work hours. Each October, the company does Beardtober, a competition to see who can

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grow the best beard that ultimately benefits a charitable organization in one of the company’s locations. The company also holds a contest to design artwork for the company Christmas card, which allows both employees and their children to get involved.

“There needs to be a balance at work,” Bakken says. “These things we do aren’t big things and they don’t take a lot of time, but the conversations you have while participating help you get to know everyone better, which adds up to working together better.”

During the busy tax season, Eide Bailly holds “lighten up” parties and a 10-key calculator challenge. The company also hosts a golf outing each year, as well as a holiday social featuring Santa and a Halloween party where employees’ children can go trick-ortreating. The company also has a women’s initiative and several recognition programs. Eide Bailly allows each team to have a volunteer day each year, but individuals are also able to take time out of their day to give back. The company is also working on a matching gift policy, and promotes wellness through monetary rewards for healthy activities.

Gate City Bank has weekly “fun days” with various themes that usually involve dressing up. “We want a place with an open, inviting culture, so we try to make it fun for everyone,” Durbin says. The company also holds leadership programs and focuses on volunteering during work hours. “We want to make this a place people want to come to,” Rudd says.

The Bobcat Acceleration Center features six kitchenettes throughout the facility as well as a gaming area. Sagaser says he makes a point of taking a break in the gaming area each day so his employees know he wants them to use it. “We want them to keep work at work, but we also want them to utilize our vitality areas so they don’t get burned out on a project. Sometimes stepping back and taking a break is what you need to spur a new development.”

The facility itself is a campus, with the office right next to an indoor lab, where employees can test their prototypes, and an indoor driving arena, where employees can test-drive products, as can customers. “The goal is to accelerate development, so they can design something in the office and head straight to the lab to design a mockup of the product,” Sagaser says. Since opening, the Acceleration Center has seen zero turnover and hired an additional 51 employees. “When we opened, we didn’t know what was going to happen, but it worked because our employees are happier and free to go about their business,” Sagaser says. PB

Kayla Prasek Staff Writer, Prairie Business 701.780.1187