Infotech: Treat People Right and the Rest Will Follow
Infotech ’s culture is driven by the values instilled by founders Dr. Jim McClave and Dr. Tom Rothrock from the very beginning — values that have become the company’s guiding pillars today. Infotech’s leaders elaborated on what those pillars mean to the company.
INTEGRITY: “Our commitment to integrity shapes our every move. It spurs us to forge strong relationships with our clients and coworkers, to give back to our community and to work with those who uphold the same ideals.”
INSIGHTS: “From mountains of data came the insights that founded Infotech, and from today’s insights we see the road to our future. We are a company of problem solvers, using insights to discover both problems and solutions in turn.”
INCLUSION: “Authenticity matters, and we believe people’s differences – their experiences, thoughts, abilities, identity, perspective – are what keep us moving forward.”
INNOVATION: “An integral part of both our business and our culture, we view innovation as a way of moving down a path toward our goals. We seek to innovate in our business strategies, our employee engagement, our company hackathons and our sustainability initiatives.”
Putting words into action
“We believe diverse teams produce diverse thinking. When our people have a variety of back-grounds, perspectives and aspirations, there are no limits to the power of their impact and the multiplying effect of what we can accomplish together.” — Tara Blythe, VP of Talent, Strategy & Communications
In the middle of the tumultuous year of 2020, Infotech watched with the rest of the country as racial injustice came to light in unprecedented ways. As the company’s leaders discussed the impact of these events on their employees, they considered the words that have become something of a motto for Infotech —treat people right and the rest will follow.
It begged the question — were they doing all they could to live up to that statement? They wanted to do more for their people and their community.For many years, the company has been a place where diversity was evident in the workforce. Just the year before, Infotech was named the Diversity and Inclusion Business of the Year by the Greater Gainesville Chamber, but as conversations evolved and their people faced the challenges of 2020 together, it was evident that simply being a space where all people felt welcome was not enough. Culture spoke up, and it was time to actively create belonging, for everyone who physically or virtually stepped through their doors.
What followed were honest conversations, hard ones at times, led by Black employees; education opportunities on company time for every employee to have the chance to learn about the history and the effect of systemic racism; and the creation of its first Diversity & Inclusion committee, representing the diversity of the company itself, to provide insight and perspective on how to celebrate diversity and spark engagement on learning how to be allies in the workplace.
“The work should never be done. You would never tell someone you care about ‘I am done helping you,’ and to me that’s the same for any work in the DEI space — and that’s okay because the fact that there’s no terminal point means there’s no end to caring for others,”said Ale Nunez, Infotech’s Senior Talent Specialist for Organizational Development & Engagement. “In the past we’ve become complacent with checking the box, but that’s what got us to where we are, so believing there is no checklist is believing your actions can make change and that’s what we need.”
Now a year into the pursuit of raising the standard for an inclusive workplace, Infotech’s efforts have shifted to include more external efforts, working with other local businesses and organizations to create a narrative of inclusion for all, fight injustice in the community and support nonprofits specifically focusing on underrepresented communities. A look at the Culture page on Infotech’s website shows that their people know the work is never done, but it will not stop them from moving forward and pushing for change.
The future is hybrid
“Trust is what sets us apart. Infotech puts people first, almost ex-clusively, and it builds a sense of confidence that no matter what, we’ve got your back.” – Will McClave, President of Infotech Systems
In October of 2019, Infotech’s IT team introduced Zoom to the company as an alternative to its previous video conferencing tools. Just months later, it would become one of the only sources of connection available to the employees. So they innovated.Over the next year, the company found new ways to infuse fun and connection tailored to how its people were using their new virtual tools. From reinventing onboarding for new Infotechers — totaling 88 new hires during the pandemic — to hosting its annual Hackathon completely on Zoom to creating casual spaces on Slack for sharing the stories and anecdotes that were suddenly missing from the workday, Infotech found ways to shift and adapt its culture to a new environment.
“It was a mystery how long we would live in this virtual-only environment, so, we spent extensive amounts of time brainstorming and creating new engagement opportunities that would still promote the Infotech culture,” said Lacey Jones, Infotech’s director of Marketing and Communications. “Planning virtual experiences was strange at first, but as soon as you lean into the idea that you need to embrace your current circumstances and make the most of it, some pretty cool things can happen. So, that’s what we did — and our employees really felt that.”
Looking forward, while not a perfect transition to a remote lifestyle, Infotech was so successful at the shift that not everyone wants to migrate back to full-time life in the office. Hybrid work is the future and flexibility is more than just the ability to go to the dentist without fear of missing work. It is putting people first, trusting them and meeting them where they are — whether they are in the office down the hall, working from home or taking a mental health day. Employees have a voice at Infotech, and as a result of their feedback and ideas, Infotech has adopted a hybrid work culture where employees will no longer be required to work full-time from the company’s headquarters.
Culture Speaks
“If you have a strong culture, you look to your culture to help you make decisions.”— Dr. Jamie McClave Baldwin
Culture has not always been the buzzword it is today, but for Infotech, it has a part of employee vernacular for decades. For years, Infotech was known as “Gainesville’s Best Kept Secret” in regards to being one of the best places to work.When faced with a year like 2020, Infotech’s culture spoke up loud and clear through the voices of its people: This was not the time to be a secret. This was the time to step up as a leader in diversity and inclusion, to proudly be an adaptable and flexible workplace, to set the example in accepting change and innovating along the way.
Toward the end of the year, Infotech was named Gainesville’s 2020 Employer of the Year by the Gainesville Chamber, and Infotech’s presidents dedicated the honor to their employees.
“All credit goes to our people, our family, who wholeheartedly bought in to keep our culture strong even as we transitioned to a remote environment and as we’ve navigated every part of 2020,” said Infotech’s President of Systems, Will McClave.“They have collectively shown that our culture is more than talk and words – we live it.”
“This is a special place to work, and we are truly honored that others have recognized what we have always known: Infotech is the best place to work,” McClave Baldwin said.