What It Takes to Become a “Best Place to Work”: A Family Culture

For the fourth consecutive year, Motorlease has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Connecticut by the Hartford Business Journal and the Best Places Group. It’s an honor that we take great pride in since the largest portion of the scoring is based off of information provided by employees via anonymous surveys. So, what’s the secret to our success? Over the next 3 weeks, we are going to give you an inside look at exactly what makes a “Best Place to Work”. Seeing as we’re a third-generation family owned business, it only makes sense to begin by taking a look at what it means to promote a familial atmosphere in the workplace.

In This Article

What is a Family Culture?
Know Your Employees
Keep Everyone Involved
Keep the Lines of Communication Open

What is a Family Culture?

To implement a family culture into a workplace, you first have to know what exactly it is. A family culture is one based on communication, respect, and shared goals and visions. It’s a culture where everyone feels like they matter, and that they’re a valued member of the organization. Many companies will claim that they promote these virtues, but often times they fall short when it comes to implementation. So how does Motorlease promote a family culture?

Know Your Employees

It’s amazing to think that, on a daily basis, people generally spend more time with their coworkers than their own family. Yet in many organizations, the relationship employees have with one another is superficial at best. At Motorlease, we take great care to get to know everyone on a more personal level. Events such as an upcoming wedding, or the arrival of a new child, are applauded and celebrated company-wide. “Whether it’s positive reinforcement with the work and effort you put in, listening when you’re in need, or giving you time outside of work when you have something that needs focus and attention, someone is always there to help and understands without question when you need to tend to something on a personal level,” said Jonathan Adomsky, Account Executive. “It truly is like having a second family.”

Keep Everyone Involved

One of the necessary elements of a family culture is for everyone in the company to be working towards a shared vision or a common goal. However this can’t happen unless all employees buy in. So how do you get everyone on the same page? One of the things that has been successful for us is to keep everyone informed of what’s going on in the company, the reason behind it, and how it’s going to benefit us moving forward. Motorlease holds monthly company-wide meetings that serve as a “State of the Union” for the company. New initiatives, goals, and changes are discussed, and employees have the opportunity to provide input and feedback. “At Motorlease, each and every employee isn’t only informed about important decisions, but also has the opportunity to help shape the future of the company,” said Jim Maule, Fleet Operations Manager. “Involving employees in the decision making process promotes a true sense of ownership in the success of the company.”

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Nothing is more contradictory to a family culture than making employees feel as if they’re not being heard. To keep that from happening, Motorlease makes sure that all levels of management, even the CEO, have an open door policy when it comes to communication. Employees know that management is always available to not just hear them out, but truly listen to what they are saying and consider their suggestions. “Employees are not only allowed to, but encouraged to volunteer their ideas, opinions, and suggestions, on a regular basis,” said Adam LoPresti, Senior Account Manager. “We’re not just given the brush off either. Management always takes the time to really consider, and often times implement, our ideas or suggestions.”

Creating a family culture isn’t something that’s done overnight. Motorlease has been a family run business for over 70 years, so you could say that we have a lot of experience. However, taking these small steps will go a long way towards implementing a family like atmosphere in your workplace.

Click here for Part 2: Employee Empowerment