BY KATY O’ MALLEY, HARTE HANKS
ABOUT OUR OWN PASSION PROJECT
My company, Harte Hanks, is a global and award-winning marketing agency specializing in marketing, customer care, fulfillment, and logistics from purchase to delivery and everything in between.
Our business customers are supported by a team of 2,000 customer care agents, working mostly remote and hybrid( 75 % fully remote and 25 % hybrid / fully onsite). Approximately half are located in the U. S. with the other half global.
Recently, we formed an international Employee Journey and Culture team to brighten the hire-to-retire life cycle of employees( with a special focus on our customer care agents) in part by cultivating a consistent, positive culture.
This team is guided by a program rooted in the psychology of passion, which is built on the following four feeling-based pillars.
PILLAR 1. I FEEL LIKE I BELONG
It’ s not a great feeling to be new or struggling to fit in. Here’ s how we ensure a sense of belonging from day one in these two areas.
A. Attention-to-Detail Onboarding
Yes, our orientation covers tools, systems, and company culture. But the little things can make a bigger difference:
• We introduce our new hires to Human Resources( HR) and Payroll contacts while still in training, as these departments answer the most common new-hire questions.
• Because new employees network with each other first, we use team building and icebreaker activities to foster connections when they move on to separate departments. We have adapted our activities and games to work well in a remote environment, i. e., with " Jeopardy!"-style knowledge checks.
• To comfortably transition employees from their trainers to their new point-of-contacts, we incorporate supervisors in the training process, for a“ soft” hand off.
Cameras are mandatory during training. This allows trainers to assess how new hires are managing, but also creates a deeper connection between remote employees. Supervisors join training classes, whether in-person or remotely, to connect and engage with new hires. Once introduced, the trainer gradually encourages them to reach out to supervisors for answers regarding product training. This“ breaks the ice” and creates a supportive relationship with the trainer as backup.
Most of our teams are managed within the same geography. However, some of our trainers may teach a class in a different country, and we do have a small number of accounts with supervisors and teams from different countries. We have found our corporate culture spans locations and, aside from certain labor policies, our processes are consistent.
B. Making the Honeymoon Last
Once employees have their feet under them, we’ ve prepared intentional moments and communication tools that help them bond with fellow workers:
• We host regular activities and competitions with prizes that rally team members behind common goals( and spice up the everyday).
Our engagement activities are geared towards all employees. Our Employee Journey and Culture team creates events with hosts that are livestreamed for audiences everywhere. This also allows us to record the events for agents who aren’ t able to see them in real time. For onsite employees, we’ ll host watch parties with food, decorations, and socializing.
• Our leaders communicate how each employee’ s role connects with the overall mission. Our CEO leads the way, delivering monthly newsletters that detail his plans for the company, organizational changes, and new accounts.
EMPLOYEES TEND TO GO THE EXTRA YARD WHEN THEY KNOW SOMEONE HAS THEIR BACKS.
PILLAR 2. I FEEL SUPPORTED
Employees tend to go the extra yard when they know someone has their backs. We build support in these four essential areas.
A. Top-Down Strength
Our supervisors are accountable for ensuring all customer care agents have the guidance and tools to accomplish their roles. We prepare our supervisors for this support through monthly cohort sessions.
• At these virtual voluntary sessions, supervisors gather from around the globe to share knowledge, develop soft skills( such as coaching, conflict resolution, recognition) and encourage networking. On average, 70 % of our supervisors attend.
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