It’s official! Softchoice has been named a Best Place to Work in Canada by the Great Place to Work Institute for the eighth year in a row! To celebrate, we decided to take a trip down memory-lane and reflect on what has made these past eight years so memorable. What do our employees value most about working at Softchoice?
Employee Recognition that Feels Like Winning an Oscar
February 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The hype of Hollywood Awards season may have passed, but making your employees feel like they’re at the Academy Awards can happen all year long!
Every year, Hollywood stars celebrate their achievements from the previous year while we watch in awe. But beyond the glitz, glamour, fashion and box office revenues, why have these awards become so popular?
I believe it comes down to two very simple things: pride and respect. And it’s not just the entertainment industry - even within the finance, technology or any other industry – recognition by peers is an honour for many. The same applies in the workplace. In fact, employee recognition is a great approach to help motivate your people and retain your hardworking talent! And it doesn’t mean recognizing with extravagant rewards like trips and money. While they’re always a nice bonus, it’s the respect gained through peer recognition that can add to an employee’s love of their workplace and motivate them to make an even bigger impact. [Read more...]
Softchoice Cares: Does aid really make a difference? [Video]
February 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The first week of February marks International Development Week (IDW) – a time to explore and celebrate the difference volunteers are making around the world. In honor of this year’s event, Softchoice Cares – an employee-led philanthropic program focused on furthering computer literacy – has produced a video documentary of their 2012 trip to Bali. The team’s mission was to install new computer labs on behalf of seven Balinese orphanages managed by the Widhya Asih Foundation. But as the group learned, a ‘hand-out’ isn’t necessarily the same as a ‘hand-up’. [Read more...]
Five Dog-Friendly Workplace Myths Busted!
January 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Ben and Jerry’s, Proctor and Gamble, Google and Autodesk – what do they have in common? If you guessed: ‘dog-friendly workplace’ – you’d be right! But these corporate giants aren’t the only companies welcoming canines – Softchoice is also proud to be a dog-friendly office! And, according to a study by the American Pet Products Association, nearly 1 in 5 workplaces in America have already joined the four-legged workforce.
Of course, many organizations still have concerns about bringing dogs into the workplace. But it’s not as complicated as you might think! Robbie Eddison, Assessment Services Supervisor at Softchoice, owner of Lebowski, and a key member of our Dog Committee, has helped bust the top five myths about bringing dogs to work! [Read more...]
Mergers Fail when Cultures Clash
December 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
William Wallace, a 13th century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence yelled, “Freedom!” just before he was beheaded for treason. The attempted “merger” of Scotland with England was less than successful because the cultural differences were large enough to cause a war.
I have been involved in acquiring four companies over the past five years and while no wars have erupted, I can attest to the fact that cultural integration is the most nebulous and the most challenging. When cultures clash the hoped for synergies of an acquisition or merger disappear very quickly.
Who Drives Company Culture?
November 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I have worked at Softchoice for more than 18 years and one of the things that has proven to be most elusive is to define the company culture. Who creates company culture? Where does it come from? I recently had Myrna Ain at AchieveBlue debrief me on my impact on Softchoice Company culture using the Management Impact survey from Human Synergistics.
I was blown away by how useful the tool was. Unlike many 360 tools, this put everything in the context of how I was impacting my direct reports and how they experienced the culture of Softchoice as a result. For the first time, I could clearly see the impact I was having on the culture of Softchoice. The debrief also helped me to connect that to some of my underlying beliefs and values that drive my actions.
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