Creating A Work Culture Where Employees Feel Engaged

Source: Crystal Williams, Chief Human Resources Officer, FLEETCOR

Since our founding in 2000, FLEETCOR has sought to develop a culture that fosters productivity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A recent survey of more than 200 Georgia-based employers, by third-party Quantum Workplace, is evidence that our efforts are paying dividends. Let’s break it down to see what is driving these results.

The first key to employee contentment is the most basic – compensation. The survey results found that FLEETCOR is performing better than companies of the same size when it comes to insurance, financial benefits, paid leave, and wellness. We received the highest possible rating for our insurance offerings, which include health, dental, vision, and HSAs. We also got strong marks for our paid parental leave policies.

Employee Engagement

Another factor in our success is employee engagement. The survey found nearly 82% of our employees describe themselves as highly or moderately engaged in their work with FLEETCOR. Fewer than 8% felt disengaged. While any level of disengagement will always be addressed, these strong numbers suggest we’re doing something right. For example, when we adopted hybrid remote working policies due to COVID, our employee engagement scores dropped. So, we asked our leaders to conduct quarterly town halls to address employee concerns and offer more skills-based training. Our Employee Resource Groups also connect employees through common lived experience and allyship.

Making Employees Feel Valued

A key driver of employee engagement is the feeling that they are valued for their efforts. When asked about the statement, “If I contribute to the organization’s success, I know I will be recognized,” 74% of FLEETCOR men and 59% of women agreed. Understanding there is always room for improvement, FLEETCOR recently launched an employee recognition program called “Gratitudes,” in which employees are recognized publicly for their accomplishments and awarded redeemable points for electronics, home goods, sporting equipment, outdoor accessories, and other retails items.

What Employees Say About the Culture

Finally, a good indicator of company culture is the words employees use to describe it. When employees were asked to describe FLEETCOR’s culture, the top five words that emerged repeatedly were: challenging, collaborative, flexible, supportive, and engaging. The span of those words tells me we are fostering a culture that encourages people to do their best work while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Conclusion

Growing from a small regional fuel card company to a global payments company with more than 10,000 employees certainly created its challenges in maintaining a positive company culture worldwide. Judging from the feedback from our employees, I would say we well on our way to meeting the challenge and will continue innovating to keep our company culture strong.