As a Talent & Culture Manager at George P. Johnson , Taylor Tanghe focuses on two main things: retaining the very best talent in the industry to work for this world-class company, and fiercely protecting a great agency culture for current GPJ employees.
So when Event Marketer named GPJ a Best Place to Work, it meant the world to her – both professionally and personally.
“When we received the Best Place to Work recognition, it was reassurance to me that we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing – which is creating an environment where employees feel safe, fulfilled, and valued.”
But how exactly have we managed to do that? And taking it a step further, how have we managed to continue to create such a positive, welcoming and productive environment for more than 100 years?
“This industry can be tough. Our executive leaders recognize that we sometimes have a challenging workload and that can get in the way of work-life balance. So we listen to our people. We do our best to address employee needs. We put them first.”
As Tanghe describes, there is no black-and-white formula for approaching leadership and developing employees. So, GPJ and the Talent & Culture team focus on listening to each and every employee – through surveys, informal “Town Hall” discussions, and even happy hours.
That open line of communication and employee feedback has resulted in a plethora of new company initiatives and programs, including the growth of new and existing university partnerships, a focus on enriching community relationships, and a strong push towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.
So what’s next for GPJ and the Talent & Culture team?
“Our focus will always remain the same. We’ll continue to focus on our employees and the culture that they work in. Happy employees ensure happy clients, and happy clients ensure happy stakeholders – in that order. Most organizations put customers first and employees second, but I think that’s backwards. If we take care of our employees, they will take care of the company.”
