An Open Letter to Our Future Gamechangers

Written by Mike Natalizio | Tue, Jun 02,2015 @ 10:00 AM

Dear Future HNI Employees,

In spite of the fact that the economy is still recovering, I know that your skills are in high demand. You A-player, gamechanger types have no shortage of options at your disposal...so why should you join our team?

Well, let me tell you.

1. We’re committed to employee development.

At HNI, our mission is to help our clients change the game - and we do the same for our employees by helping them improve their career and do the work that they love every day.

We’ve doubled in size over the past 5 years and have aggressive growth goals, so there is no shortage of pathways to advance and take that next step in your career.

Developing the next generation of talent and leadership is incredibly important to us. We offer an internal training series called the Certified Risk Advisor program to provide opportunities for this.

2. Size matters.

We’re small enough that you can be entrepreneurial and really make an impact... but at the same time, we have a number of very large high profile clients nationally, so you’re working on some very complex, challenging problems.You get the best of both worlds at HNI.

3. We are change agents leading our industry.

The industry is changing really, really fast, and it’s an exciting time to be a part of that. HNI is not watching from the sidelines, but instead is helping fuel the change and assisting our clients in building organizations that are safe, healthy, and prosperous.

We’ve really made a name for ourselves in the industry. We are constantly being recognized for our growth, being a great place to work, and being a thought leader in the community.

4. Your opinion counts. We give a $h!T what you think.

We have a culture of transparency, accountability, and speed. You have a say in how things are done and your opinion matters.

We believe that just because something’s always been done a particular way, doesn’t mean we can’t find a better way. People that succeed here aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo or suggest a new idea.

5. It’s an open book within our four walls.

Our leadership team strives to be open with information whenever possible -- whether on financials, company goals, or where we’re headed.

We use Chatter, a social collaboration tool, for company communications. It allows us to be open and helps get rid of departmental or location silos. Who needs more email and status meetings?

This type of communication allows our entire organization to get the heartbeat of what's going on without clogging up our inbox and calendar. We find this approach accelerates learning that works almost like osmosis.

6. You can work the way that works for you.

Giving employees the ability to find harmony between their work and home lives is important to us.

We often hear the comment that we’re really “family friendly,” which is I consider one of the best compliments an employee could give us.

We recently put into place a flex policy that allows more freedom in the way we choose to work. We know the 9 to 5 thing just doesn’t fit for everyone anymore, so you can do telecommuting, different work hours, early Fridays…. as long as you get your work done, everything else is up for discussion.

7. Your co-workers will be awesome.

We have some of the best talent in the industry who love using their skills and abilities to advance not only HNI and our clients’ businesses, but also the industry as a whole.

We want our clients to be raving fans of HNI, and our people are how we make that happen.

Our people are passionate and committed -- and we’re proud to call ourselves gamechangers.

I have many responsibilities as the CEO of HNI, but talent acquisition and retention is (and will always be) at the top of my list,. If you join our growing team of gamechangers, you have my word that you will be one of my top priorities.