Hi. I’m Lisa Oyler, HR Director at Access Perks, and I have a confession to make. I’m obsessed with passionate about creating positive workplace culture.
Culture is one of those elusive, hard-to-define-and-harder-to-shape, aspects of the job. That sure hasn’t kept us from trying.
For example, I’m constantly learning new ways to shape this company’s workplace culture into one that is inclusive, energetic, empowering, engaging… all the buzz words brought to life. On that note, we have some exciting news to share.
Access Perks is the winner of several workplace awards in 2023. More on that later, however.
Even as we refine our own company culture, entire Access teams dedicate their working hours to helping our partners meet their goals, be those money-saving, employee-retaining, or customer-gaining goals. By fully supporting their Access Perks employee benefits, we ensure the employers we partner with have every opportunity to develop their own workplace culture.
In other words, we’re passionate about creating positive work culture for ourselves AND our business partners.
So what goes into creating positive workplace culture? Let’s back up a little and explore:
What Does an Award-Winning Workplace Culture Look Like?
2023 Access Perks Workplace Awards
Award-winning Support Teams at Access
The process of applying for workplace awards is extensive, involving long surveys and evaluations that dive deep into dozens of topics. Since our first attempt a decade ago, the very act of trying to win workplace awards has taught us a lot about what employees are looking for from their employer, nationally, locally AND within our own walls.
Best of all, we’ve found community with the incredible employers that we partner with in order to offer their employees the Access Perks discount program as an employee benefit. Many of these partners are workplace culture rockstars, and we’ve learned a lot from them as well.
What have we learned? Culture is just too big to sum up in one sentence, or really in one blog article. However, we can look to industry experts and find patterns among businesses known for having excellent work culture. We identified a number of factors that are crucial in whether a company’s culture is award-winning or not. Below you’ll find a short list of the factors that Access Perks has been working on over the years. As a bonus, you can click on any one of the topics below for a deeper dive into the subject to learn more about each one.
Clearly, a lot goes into creating positive work culture. You don’t need workplace awards to know if you’re strong or weak in these areas. You’ll know you’re doing a good job when your workforce is happy, productive and stable. Those are the most important awards for your efforts, and (indeed) the whole point of working on culture in the first place.
Access Development, which includes Access Perks as a sister company, has won 6 prestigious workplace awards in 2023. Each award has a unique focus, but they all required extensive research provided either by HR or by a company-wide survey of employees.
We consider these awards to be (in part) a reflection of the efforts of leadership to build a positive workplace culture at Access. Even more so, we recognize they’re a testament to the amazing people and teams working day in and day out to support the businesses we work with.
As an HR director, I try to help every new employee feel good about their decision to work for Access. One way I do this is by sharing the company’s history and values during orientation. For Access, it’s the famous “Napkin story.” In 1984, our founder Larry Maxfield drew a triangle (seen in our logo) onto a table napkin to illustrate his business plan. The points of the triangle represent the three audiences we serve. The Access Perks employee discount program helps employers engage their employees, helps employees save money at local businesses on everyday and fun purchases, and helps local businesses attract new customers.
As Access has grown, these audiences remain our pillars, and we owe a lot to the awesome teams who specialize in serving each one. Our own workplace culture has grown more positive because of these employees who bring their dedication and optimistic energy to work every day. More importantly, each team has a role in ensuring our partners have a good experience. That way, employers can spend less time worrying about whether their employees are using and enjoying their discount benefits, and more time developing their own workplace culture.
Ryan Ellis, who leads the client success team says, “There’s more to it than saving money (though that’s a big part). It’s about showing employees that their employer cares and values them, fostering a workplace where everyone feels appreciated and engaged.”
Our in-house member service team serves all the employees who call, chat or email in with questions and concerns about their discount benefits. For HR professionals, selecting employee benefits is only one of many varied tasks we’re expected to perform. The less time we can spend managing each program the better. Who has time to guide each employee through activating their benefits, finding the perfect discount and then redeeming it? Certainly not HR.
“Access Perks wants to be more than a service provider, we want to be a true partner in the employee engagement journey,” said Kelly Do, member services manager. “By offering personalized support, where every interaction is a delightful one, we can reflect that positivity back on the employer who provided the benefit in the first place. Even the newest member services representative is a vital member of our team, a sentiment we share through our daily interactions.”
As architects of the discount program itself, the merchant team secures top-notch discounts that cater to a broad spectrum of interests and demographics. Access holds direct relationships with mega corporations like Disney to secure discount Disneyland tickets AND every single small-town mom & pop shop listed on the site.
Tracie Ellis, VP of Partnership Marketing, “Our Merchant Team secures partnerships, but more importantly we cultivate relationships. We know that even the small businesses are integral to the program. This not only keeps compliance levels high, it also fosters inclusivity, making our program more enjoyable for employees everywhere.”
Workplace culture is driven by multiple factors in any organization, and there’s only so much one HR director can do to cultivate a culture where every employee feels valued. That’s because every employee influences the culture of a company, adding to its unique flavor. We’re fortunate here at Access to have awesome employees who bring their positive energy to work every day, building a great place to work for everyone.
Whether you’re looking for an inclusive benefit to offer your employees or you just want a partner that will do all the heavy lifting so you can get back to your other culture-cultivating efforts, be sure to reach out to Access Perks so we can discuss how to help you get there.