Oconomowoc-based MyPath, a 100% employee-owned company, provides residential, educational and other support services to individuals with developmental disabilities. With its 2,600 employees distributed across 150 locations in two states, communication and employee engagement can be challenging.
During the past 18 months, Bethany Skalitzky, director of total rewards/HRIS — along with Janet Schulz, chief communications officer — has led the charge for implementation of new ideas and improvement of old ones.
At the core of any ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company is its Employee Communication Committee (ECC). MyPath’s ECC has thrived and engagement of its members and the subsequent engagement of all employees is at the highest level experienced in the company’s 36-year existence.
Communication tools have been honed — MyPath’s “In Our Hands” newsletter, for instance, has been redesigned with sophistication. Its content has been enhanced through solicitation of regular contributions from those out in the field.
Plus, Redeapp, a mobile performance platform for a “non-desk workforce,” has been implemented and a series of nine educational videos covering what it means to be part of an ESOP and promoting the MyPath culture have been released. Each video ends with a short quiz. Successful completion of the series qualifies an employee to be recognized as a CEO (certified employee owner).
