We’re back to bring you the insights from our monthly Experts on Employee Experience Webinar Series, where Jade Choy, Epoch’s CEO, connects with leaders and innovators shaping the employee experience landscape. In this virtual webinar, Jade had an in-depth conversation with Hanna Phan, VP of Culture at ABC Fitness. They explored how to foster a vibrant workplace culture, drive engagement in remote settings, and create inclusive and innovative environments for employees.
Watch the recording here or read on for the highlights from their discussion! 📝⬇️
Hannah shared how ABC Fitness, a fully remote company, manages to build meaningful employee engagement. The secret? Intentional strategies are designed to create connections, even when face-to-face interactions are limited. Recognizing the power of in-person connections, ABC organizes initiatives like Global Socials to foster team cohesion and trust. By investing in thoughtfully designed remote and in-person interactions, ABC transforms how its employees connect and collaborate.
When Hanna joined ABC Fitness, she embarked on a journey to uncover the organization’s existing culture, aspirations, and challenges. This process involved extensive one-on-one conversations with leaders across levels to understand their perspectives and align around shared values. The outcome was a unified mission, vision, and set of core values which are essential for a company navigating rapid growth and global acquisitions. Hannah emphasized that cultural alignment requires continuous dialogue and adaptation as the company evolves.
One of the key challenges in transforming company culture is ensuring leadership support. Hanna highlighted the importance of aligning leaders on the purpose and value of culture. This understanding fosters a shared belief that culture isn’t just owned by one person, it’s a collective effort. For companies with less engaged leaders, she recommends reframing conversations around business goals, employee engagement data, and the tangible impact of cultural initiatives.
ABC Fitness created Global Socials to foster in-person interactions among geographically dispersed teams. The initiative began with large gatherings in key hubs and evolved to include micro-socials which are smaller, more localized meet-ups for employees to connect, volunteer, or enjoy leisure activities. This program is supported by regional leads who facilitate connections, fostering deeper engagement and collaboration across teams.
Quantifying the success of cultural initiatives is an ongoing challenge. ABC Fitness uses a combination of surveys, NPS scores, and individual feedback to gauge employee sentiment and program impact. By collecting real-time stories, qualitative feedback, and survey data, the company builds a comprehensive view of employee experience, helping to shape and iterate its programs effectively.
Culture cannot be built or sustained in silos. Hanna’s approach at ABC involves deep collaboration with cross-departmental partners, including HR, marketing, and regional leads, to design inclusive and effective engagement programs. By co-creating initiatives and leveraging diverse perspectives, ABC fosters an environment where every voice has the power to shape workplace culture.
As ABC Fitness looks ahead, leadership development is a critical focus. The company recognizes that middle managers and leaders are key drivers of culture and aims to empower them through targeted development programs. By fostering a growth mindset and providing leadership opportunities, ABC helps its leaders support their teams and drive cultural transformation.
For employees looking to pitch new initiatives, Hanna’s advice is simple: Start by identifying the challenges and explaining why they matter. Frame your proposal around tangible goals, invite feedback, and create space for collaboration. Solutions often emerge through shared ideation, and courage is key, so don't be afraid to ask questions and test ideas in safe spaces.
Epoch is here to support your journey toward building a thriving employee culture. From planning and promoting internal events to gathering feedback and analytics, Epoch’s platform streamlines every aspect of employee engagement. Connect with employees through email, Slack, calendaring, and real-time analytics, making it easier than ever to create impactful experiences.
Curious about how Epoch can transform your organization’s engagement strategies? Book a demo today!
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