Welcome to the first of Zift’s Employee Spotlight series! We’re starting off by interviewing Laura Crawford, Senior Director of Global Human Resources, about the work that she does here at Zift Solutions. We look forward to continuing to share insights into the exciting initiatives our team has going on behind the scenes.
Hey, Laura! Thank you for stopping by our Employee Spotlight series. To get started, can you explain what Zift Solutions does?
Hey, Kelsey! I’m glad to. Zift Solutions has the people, places, and processes needed to deliver the best Partner Relationship Management (PRM) and Channel Marketing Management software in the industry. Both Channel Marketing and Partner Relationship Management enable suppliers and partners to align on goals, communicate program progress, and effectively reach ROI goals.
Thanks for that. Can you tell our readers what your job entails?
As a Human Resources professional, you might expect me to say that I have a people-centered approach to my work. Really, I want to bring more than that to my day-to-day at Zift Solutions. What comes to mind is integrated balance: finding ways to bring Zift’s people and business together in harmony. Through fostering an environment where people can be their authentic selves and also find fulfillment, I help nurture employees who are proud of their contributions while simultaneously driving corporate goals.
As you know, Zift is always focused on lifting our employees up. Simply put, we want to be the best employer we can be. What do you think defines an organization as a top employer today?
When it comes to being a “top employer,” there are many lenses through which an organization can be measured: benefits and compensation, culture, diversity, trust, communication, etc. A metric that’s often overlooked is whether or not an employer can attract and retain engaged employees who feel deeply connected to their work. These are the companies that would correctly be identified as a top employer.
Here at Zift, it’s certainly exciting to win awards and receive recognition within the industry. What really highlights us as a top employer, though, is the employee feedback that we receive from our annual employee survey. We consistently receive survey results expressing how deeply our compassionate, supportive community is appreciated. Employees feel they’re living out a culture of respect, integrity, and fun. A leadership team that fosters transparent communication makes it easy for employees to connect their work to customer satisfaction and completed organizational goals. At the end of the day, wouldn’t a top employer be a place where people have fulfilling work, understand the value of what they’re doing, and work with people they genuinely enjoy?
Can you tell us about a recent initiative in the HR department that you’re most proud of?
We started a Professional Development Series a few months ago. This series consists of a voluntary lunch n’ learn that covers a variety of topics, including personal development, financial acumen, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives. Hosting these types of sessions, thanks to the help of allocated Professional Development funds, shows employees we care about developing their professional and personal growth.
What is the next objective in Zift’s journey to improve the employee experience?
Our next objective is to develop action plans based on those employee survey results. We’ll use this direct feedback to improve our overall employee experience.
From an HR perspective, what is the biggest challenge facing Zift? How are you planning to overcome it?
I see us facing two primary challenges: 1) maintaining our company culture in a virtual world and 2) continuing to foster a culture of inclusivity as we bring in new talent. When it comes to overcoming these challenges, this isn’t going to be a situation where we just check a box and move on. Nurturing employees and company culture requires constant attention and fresh ideas. Right now, our Professional Development Series has helped keep the excitement going within the company. This was just one example of applying fresh ideas to the company. We have more work to do by tapping into our employees and employee survey results.
Going back to that concept of integrated balance, it’s all about listening to employees and engaging with them. This is how companies find solutions to challenges, like staying connected and effectively onboarding new employees in the virtual world.
