Company culture is the key to a happy, productive workforce. Companies with strong, positive corporate cultures are shown to be better at attracting and retaining talent, innovating, and just plain being happier places to work.
Building and maintaining a strong company culture is the sole mission of RingCentral’s Employee Engagement team. And that’s what Program Lead Allyson Gee does best.
Employee engagement can be tough on a normal day—doing it with an entire company working from home makes Allyson’s days anything but normal. How do you keep a global organization engaged when no one’s able to…engage? If you’re AllyGee, you do it with imagination, relentless enthusiasm, and endless creativity.
From major, company-wide initiatives like Pride Month to a simple Dad Joke thread on Glip; Allyson builds partnerships across teams like RCause and RingCentral Wellness to constantly find new ways to make life at RingCentral a little brighter, more inclusive or just plain better – from wherever we happen to be.
Sounds fun and easy, right? Fun, yes. Easy, no. Building a breakthrough culture takes much more than a foosball table in the break room. Monthly themes like Pride, or Wellness Month have to be thought out, planned, launched, shared, and measured for effectiveness. And that’s just part of Allyson’s day-to-day. She’s building communities. Finding “office champions” to drive participation. And making sure every effort is inclusive, lighthearted, and open to all – without distracting from our “real jobs” or feeling like homework.
Allyson’s hospitality background gives her an edge – she understands every audience is different and responds to different things. The chess competitions people love in London might not work in Denver. Manila’s dance classes might not be a fit in Ft. Lauderdale. It also gives her a service-oriented touch. Ever wonder why you don’t hear from Employee Engagement on Monday? Because it’s Monday—you’ve got enough to deal with. Tuesday? You’re heads-down. Come Wednesday, there’s hope in your heart…and a Wellness Wednesday Programs to look forward to.
“My vision for culture is centered around gratitude,” says Allyson. “Making sure people feel truly appreciated pays massive dividends. So any opportunity we have to weave the idea of gratitude into our communications or activities is critical.”
Her philosophy seems to be paying major dividends. RingCentral’s attrition rate for the first two quarters of FY 2020 (the middle of a global pandemic) is the lowest it’s been in the past four years—and among the lowest in the industry.
A service-oriented approach. A vision for where we go next. And the occasional dad joke. Allyson Gee is a driving force behind RingCentral’s inspiring, innovative culture. We’re glad to have the opportunity to show her our gratitude.
Originally published Jun 17, 2020, updated Feb 24, 2021
