People Operations teams act as the advocate between a business and its employees. At 1WorldSync we are lucky to have a team that acts with empathy and a value-driven approach. From onboarding and benefits to company events and cultivating culture, our People Operations team acts as the heart of 1WorldSync and makes it a great place to work. 

The 1WorldSync People Operations team sat down to discuss the company values, their roles in a global organization, what they look for in candidates and their team culture. Below is a summarized transcript of an interview with VP of Human Resources and Administration, Eileen Timmins, Human Resources Managers, Shandee Ewert, Kathy Glesser and Joice Vieira, Human Resources Business Partner – Europe & UK,  Lindsey Hill, Talent Acquisition Specialist,  Shelby Hoehne and Human Resources and Facilities Specialist Johnny Pliego. Read on to learn more about 1WorldSync and the people who make it a great place to work.

On the 1WorldSync Values of Teamwork, Humility, Integrity and Continuous Improvement:

Eileen Timmins, VP of Human Resources & Administration: Our company values are incorporated into everything we do in our day to day, within all our meetings, our performance appraisals to our job descriptions, to how we screen potential employees. 

Katherine Glesser, Human Resources Manager: All our work is centered around teamwork. Our team has a very forward and connecting approach, rather than the siloed procedures other organizations may practice. Each member of our team is cross-trained so that we can cover for each other depending on workload and availability. Even though we each have our own areas of expertise, we reach across these areas often to support each other.

Shandee Ewert, Human Resources Manager: In terms of integrity, everyone has different experiences with human resources and people operations from prior organizations, and we want to be a team that really is trusted by employees to be honest and transparent. It’s important to us that employees know that we are going to do our best to help them. 

Johnny Pliego, Human Resources and Facilities Specialist: And of course, we try every day to do what we do better because this is a continuous improvement. We regularly solicit feedback from employees. This includes exit interviews, thorough onboarding and check-ins throughout employment.

Eileen: Our team lives and breathes the 1WorldSync values and we support each other and the rest of the organization in doing so as well. Not only do we lead by example, but we also coach executives and leaders on how they should drive their work and teams with a value-focused approach and we recognize employees who live our values in the internal newsletter. 

Author’s note: It should be stated that the People Operations team exemplified the value of humility throughout this conversation. Eileen suggested a team panel discussion rather than a solo interview for this article and each team member took care throughout to not interrupt or speak over others and asked for the perspective of each individual. 

We try every day to do what we do better because this is a continuous improvement.

On Leading People Operations Across a Global Company:

Johnny: 1WorldSync operates in nine offices across five different countries. In 2020 we were a team of 100 people and then acquisitions led to incredible growth creating a team of over 550 employees in under seven months. Not only did we expand within the US, with the acquisition of Snap36, CNET and Simplus, we also expanded globally. There has been a significant shift in how we operate which has allowed us to create best practices leveraging a breadth of knowledge and expertise across different cultures.

Shandee: While such significant growth is a lot of work, it’s also a lot of fun. We all were given an opportunity to expand our roles and our team with the growth of 1WorldSync. It’s been an exciting time of new perspectives and improvement. The expansion of the company has allowed us to elevate the services that we provide. 

Katherine: Now, when we see something great happening in Brazil or Portugal for example, we think “why not implement that everywhere?” and we get to bring the best possible programs and support to more people every day.

Joice Vieira, Human Resource Manager: We feel very proud to work at 1WorldSync during this expansion and beyond. It’s a challenge for us and a big opportunity for growth.

On 1WorldSync Recruitment:

Eileen: Recruitment is a critical role on our team and for the larger organization. Lindsey, Joice and Shelby act as the first introduction prospective employees have to 1WorldSync. It’s crucial that we uphold the integrity of those positions with a realistic preview of what candidates can expect. 

Shelby Hoehne, Talent Acquisition Specialist: What we know 1WorldSync employees can expect is a value-focused culture with an understanding of employees as people first. When seeking to fill openings at the company, we ensure candidates meet the requirements of the role, but beyond that, we look for someone that will bring a new perspective and eagerness to the team. 

Lindsey Hill, Human Resources Business Partner: While a lot of on-the-job training is available for new hires, you can’t train attitude. You can’t teach enthusiasm. We’re not just looking for people to stand in, we’re looking for people to stand out. We value new perspectives and a variety of thought and experience.

We’re not just looking for people to stand in, we’re looking for people to stand out.

On employee support and connection:

Eileen: We offer a variety of meaningful opportunities to our employees for support in and outside of the workplace. Each employee has a volunteer day off (VTO) to take advantage of throughout the year. This is a fully paid day where an employee can volunteer with their nonprofit organization of choice. It’s important to us to support our employees and our communities, and this is one great way to do it.

Shandee: We recently rolled out a global benefit called Maven that supports employees to and through parenthood. We have a worldwide employee assistance program (EAP) that offers support across a lot of different areas including legal, elder care, finances and more. 

Eileen: It’s also important for us to be active within the communities we live and work in. This includes offering financial support and resources at times of crisis, like when our California employees helped clean up a local oil spill. We also display this continuously through our Chicago-based photo studio. We receive incredible amounts of product from our clients and in some cases, they don’t want it shipped back. We donate this product back into the community, which often looks like large food donations to local pantries.

Joice: In Brazil, in particular, we really enjoy the activities we create to bring our employees together, especially now. It’s important that we care for each other, prioritize our health and engage safely. We have an online community platform that we leverage to share events and programs across the organization and opportunities to give back to our community.

Eileen: It is increasingly important to create opportunities for our employees to connect while many employees work remotely. Using our volunteer time off day, our employees volunteer together, locally such as with the Chicago Habitat for Humanity project, or in larger groups through a company-led program like our Wings for Life Run. Inclusivity and connection are so important to our team, the organization, and the individuals which make 1WorldSync great. We are grateful to be able to provide opportunities like these for the 1WorldSync community.

On the People Operations Team Culture:

Eileen: We truly do see an organization comprised of individuals who value teamwork, integrity, humility and continuous improvement and our team embraces every part of it. With the conscious and organic growth of 1WorldSync, we have created a culture where people are valued and treated as truly an asset to the business. It is a delicate balance between employee advocacy and business advocacy and on this team, we are able to do both really well with the ultimate goal of always doing what is right. I just love this team. I could not be more proud of this group of people. 

Shelby: This team makes it very easy to show up at work every day. By connecting the right people with our exciting job opportunities, I am hoping they have that same experience. 

Joice: We really do wake up and feel motivated to work. The work environment is incredibly flexible and supportive. It presents new challenges and opportunities for growth daily. It is also a company we can trust.

Katherine: The global nature of the organization is so exciting and creates a really engaged group that’s inspiring to see. We work across states and countries and it’s truly fulfilling.

Lindsey: The variety of the work is very enjoyable. At the end of the day, the reason we’re excited to come to work is the team. 

Johnny: It’s the people that really make the difference. Chatting throughout the work day with people across the organization and globe really brings this work to life. 

Shandee: Not one person on the people operations team needs to be convinced to execute with empathy, we all do so inherently. We recognize the immense privilege and responsibility of being an advocate for not just the business but for the employee too and seeing that employee as a whole person. It’s a great organization, team and culture to be a part of. 

We recognize the immense privilege and responsibility of being an advocate for not just the business but for the employee too and seeing that employee as a whole person.