Vi: 2019 Best Place to Work

Shaker Recruitment Marketing works with global brands to develop customized recruitment strategies. At the heart of what we do is helping companies connect people with jobs they love, and nothing makes us prouder than seeing our clients gain recognition for creating workplaces that exceed employee expectations. Out of Glassdoor’s 2019 Best Place to Work Award recipients located in the greater Chicago area, two are Shaker clients. We’re excited to highlight their achievements in this two-part series, starting with Vi.

 

 

Shaker Recruitment Marketing client Vi’s employment brand, “Bring Life To Your Career,” sums up their commitment to employee growth and a workplace that is living, breathing, and evolving. Working with the elderly and bringing them a better quality of life requires only the best employees; and, since Vi was named a 2019 Best Place to Work, it’s clear that they’re doing their part in fostering talent that in turn fosters community. Senior VP of HR & Learning Judy Whitcomb shared insider knowledge into what makes Vi stand out as a top-notch employer.

Long-Term Vision

From Shaker’s ongoing work with Vi in areas from video shoots to employer branding to career site design in beyond, it’s evidence that they are truly invested in the work they do: “Celebrating the successes of our employees contributes to our engaging culture. We actively communicate, market and celebrate employee successes through story. We leverage awards and actively market what we offer not only internally, but externally—both as a recruitment tool and to differentiate ourselves as an employer.”

The average Vi employee’s tenure is almost six years, and 30% of employees build a career at Vi that lasts over a decade. To Whitcomb, this comes down to a long-term vision and a strong team: “It’s no secret that managers that inspire, care and engage with their team members contribute to Vi’s high-levels of employee retention.”

Training and Development

Vi’s extensive training and development opportunities are proven to be successful. These programs are professionally evaluated by organizations including Chief Learning Officer’s LearningElite, Training Magazine’s Top 125 and ELearning! 100 award programs.

As Whitcomb shared, “Vi recognizes our employees are at the heart of delivering on Vi’s brand promise. To attract and retain the very best talent, Vi commits to providing all employees the opportunity to learn and thrive through significant investments in employee development and by providing a caring and compassionate work environment where employees can enjoy meaningful work by enhancing the lives of older adults.”

Not only do Vi’s training opportunities make life better for employees individually—they elevate the whole workplace. “Vi knows the value of well-trained, enabled and engaged employees who are responsible for delivering exceptional service and quality care,” Whitcomb shared. “Further, Vi also believes that strong leadership contributes to a strong and thriving workplace culture.”

Their successful promotion of their comprehensive program offerings has proven to be a strategic recruitment marketing collaboration between Vi and Shaker.

Recruiting Developing Leaders

Vi goes out of their way to connect potential employees with the careers and growth opportunities available at their organization. Their focus extends beyond colleges and trade schools into high schools. Vi’s proactive approach to recruitment allows them to reach developing leaders just when they’re starting to think about their career paths seriously. This strategy allows them to invest in people with potential and help them grow through targeted, mindful marketing.

Two-Way Conversations

In addition to providing a number of great resources for their employees that further elevate their employer brand, Vi is constantly evaluating feedback from employees both formally and informally to better improve their offerings and evolve their brand. Their reciprocal communication approach, commitment to employee growth, and impressive retention rates confirm this sentiment—thanks to emphasis on welcoming, listening to, and encouraging their employees, Vi has created an environment that encourages authenticity and connection.

“Vi’s culture is supported by our core values of integrity, compassion and excellence. It’s not a surprise to us that one of the most frequent words used in verbatim feedback in our Great Place to Work survey results was ‘family.’” Here at Shaker, this sentiment couldn’t ring truer, and we are honored to elevate the incredible success at Vi.