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Part 2 of our 5 part end-of-the-year series about the things we appreciate here at ATR.

“Name one thing you love about working at ATR.”

That’s what Staffing 360 asked our colleagues in preparation for writing this post as part of our ongoing series.

It’s a bit of a scary exercise to ask people what they appreciate about the company they work at.  What if no one answers?  What if they do but no one likes anything?  But as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.  So we took the leap and, fortunately, we got plenty of answers!  Positive answers, many of which included more than one thing they appreciated.  And many of us at ATR agree and like the same things.

So, what do we appreciate?

Well, ATR’s commitment to work/life balance and the policies that encourage and support it, such as our VTO program and flexible vacation policy were mentioned by several.  Our clients.  The opportunities for advancement that ATR’s expansion has created.  The compensation.  Oh, and our casual dress policy, the fact that we can wear jeans to work.  It wasn’t anyone’s top reason but many noted it’s a great perk!

People also talked about appreciating the opportunity to help people, “to make a difference in someone’s life.”  It’s something our CEO, Jerry Brenholz, talks about often, how rewarding working in this industry can be.  You don’t have to work here very long before you feel it too and we appreciate that.    

But there were three things that were mentioned by the majority of our respondents:

We like the small-company, family feel of ATR;

We appreciate ATR’s management team; and

We really appreciate each other.

Many people told Staffing 360 they appreciated the company culture, and management and coworkers are definitely a part of that, but they mentioned specifically the feeling of family that exists.  They appreciate that there is “more of a family feel instead of a cold corporate feel.”  One colleague said “Mr. B. is supportive of his employees and makes us feel like a part of a family,” another commented “they don’t give up easily on someone,” and, finally, another said,

“I like that we have maintained the small company feeling even as we continue to grow in several time zones.  The open communication between all levels of employees makes you feel like a valued part of the ATR family.”

That word – family – popped up again and again. We think it’s a great description of the “feeling” of ATR’s culture, and why so many remarked on it.

When it comes to ATR’s management, whether it was the simple “I love the executive staff” or that “management is open to new ideas and I appreciate how they allow and encourage their employees to work the way it is best for them to get the job done,” the sentiment was the same.  We appreciate the culture that is fostered at ATR and embodied by management.

One person explained “management is there to help and guide individuals to succeed,” while another noted “the relationship that staff have with management is one which is constructive, professional, respectful, and positive!”

“If I need anything or have a suggestion, I can always talk to my manager or even my CEO directly. They listen and value my opinion. It’s nice to know that I’m not just a number or an employee. ATR truly cares.”

Appreciation for the accessibility of the leadership team was another specific point.  One person remarked that “management is very approachable and they seem to really care about my advancement within the company.”  Another commented, “It is great that I can personally talk to the CEO and VP of Recruiting about my position and future with the company. That doesn’t happen very often, where you can foster strong work relationships with senior management. It really shows that they care about their employees and that is really refreshing.”

Finally, one of our colleagues responded that “management at all levels, from regional managers right up to our CEO hear and consider our ideas, making me feel like I have a voice in our company.”  Turns out many of us appreciate the efforts of our management team and direct supervisors and the ways they help make working at ATR rewarding.   

It also turns out that we’re equally, or even more, appreciative of each other.

“I truly appreciate the opportunity to work with really hardworking coworkers who care about their jobs and want to do really well.”

“I appreciate the incredible staff we have here.  I’ve come across the most genuine and helpful people I’ve ever had the chance to work with.”

“My favorite thing about ATR is definitely the people. Everyone helps each other out. I think we have fun and energetic people here at ATR.”

“I love ATR International because of the people I work with from my manager, CEO, my team… really the entire company!  We work hard and have fun at the same time.”

Clearly we appreciate great co-workers, and with good reason.  Studies and surveys consistently tell us that co-workers matter when it comes to enjoying your work, and this is certainly a testament to that. You can see some common themes too – working hard but having fun, being helpful.  It may seem counterintuitive but people don’t like a job because it’s easy or there’s not much to do.  Most people like to work hard and accomplish things, and at ATR, we’re no different.  And we certainly appreciate colleagues who share our work ethic and values.

One of our teammates summed it up nicely: “my colleagues and management team exemplify ATR’s core values on a daily basis.”

So it turns out there was nothing to worry about.  It was apparently a pretty easy question for many of us to answer.  One thing that we at Staffing 360 think people would agree with and appreciate about their ATR colleagues is that none of us will take any of this for granted.  We’re all going to continue to look for ways to improve and achieve even greater success as a team.  

We’ll appreciate the opportunity to do it all over again, only better, next year!