Acquia Culture in Action, August 2019
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At Acquia, “open” means more to us than “open source.” We set out to create a welcoming and inspiring culture for our team members that makes them feel like they’re part of a greater, growing community. Our Culture in Action series highlights how Acquians are empowering each other to do more every day. Here are some of the recent ways Acquia is supporting, challenging and celebrating our people!
#GiveBackMore
Doing all we can to give back to our communities is one of Acquia’s most important principles. Starting in July, our Boston office ran a school supply drive to collect much-needed materials for the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Acquians contributed art materials, pens and pencils, backpacks and gift cards to make sure students and their families had everything they needed to start the new school year!
Additionally, our Acquia UK office was honored with a Payroll Giving Gold Award last month from the UK government for the Give As You Earn program we launched in February 2019. Give As You Earn is an easy way to support a good cause close to your heart where team members make regular charitable contributions directly from their paycheck, in much the same way that they would contribute to a retirement fund. With over 3,000 charities to choose from, Acquians are proud to help improve the world and support the causes that matter most to them.
Growing #StrongerTogether With Diversity and Inclusion
A key tenet of Acquia’s mission is encouraging a sense of diversity throughout our company and including a wide range of unique points of view and backgrounds in our workforce. We launched an organizational and community initiative in an effort to build a diverse, inclusive and collaborative working environment for all people. Our #DiversityandInclusion video project looks at what diversity and inclusion mean to Acquians around the globe. The series not only exemplifies the differing perspectives of our employees but demonstrates our commitment to inspiring other companies and industries to support diverse workplaces that make all employees feel important.
In her video contribution to the project, Rajeshwari Variar from our Pune office says diversity is something that cannot be measured. Diversity, she says, “has many faces, including race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.” True diversity brings together people from different educational backgrounds and cultures. Rajeshwari says inclusion is made possible when every single person is “valued, heard, respected, empowered and feels a true sense of belonging.”
#SucessByDesign: Opportunities to Learn
Acquia’s innovative and collaborative environment thrives through providing employees with opportunities for continued learning and career growth, so everyone has the ability to make an impact and drive our business forward. Acquia’s Internal Mobility and Promotion Programs encourage Acquians to expand their career and try something new, through classes, presentations and workshops hosted by Acquia’s Learning and Development team.
On August 8, our UX team presented his team’s recent research on the state of today’s CMS industry as part of our regular Cognition Kitchen series. Cognition Kitchen provides employees with learning development opportunities and industry expertise from their fellow Acquians. These learning sessions take place during the workday (usually over lunch) and provide an opportunity for employees to gain knowledge from their coworkers on anything from team building to product development to career planning.
#InspiringCrazy: Employee Spotlight
As well as going above and beyond to give back and achieve exceptional things in their work, Acquians are always looking for new ways to make a difference in every part of their lives. For this month’s employee spotlight we wanted to recognize Olaf Doemer, director of global support, for his recent heartwarming story of fostering two beagles who were in need of a good home.
Olaf and his wife are volunteers at B.O.N.E.S. (Beagles Of New England States) and love caring for dogs searching for their forever homes. They first fostered Shelby for 10 weeks after her owner had passed away and it was difficult to find someone to adopt an eleven-year-old dog. Shelby had been living in a temporary home where she stayed in a basement for most of the day. When B.O.N.E.S contacted Olaf, they cared for Shelby in their home where she made friends with their own dogs before later being permanently adopted by a loving family.
Their second foster pup was a six-year-old beagle named Wolfie who had been born in a lab and stayed there for the first five years of his life. When the lab released him, he went to a vet tech school until that program went bankrupt and had to close. After staying with Olaf and his wife for three months, Wolfie, too, found a permanent home with a wonderful family to care for him.
It’s wonderful to see all the ways Acquians demonstrate caring and commitment both to people and animals. We loved hearing about Olaf’s efforts in our extremely popular Slack channel dedicated to dog pictures and stories.
#CommittedToAwesome Summer Celebrations
On July 25, our Boston headquarters held our annual Summer Party on the office’s roof-deck. We had a blast soaking up the sun and taking in spectacular views of the historic Boston skyline while unwinding from the workday by the DJ booth and indulging in summer treats at the create-your-own ice cream sandwich bar.
And the party didn’t stop for Acquians who attended BostInno’s annual BostonFest, where Acquia was nominated as one of Boston’s Coolest Companies in 2019! After casting their votes all month, team members came out to display their Acquia pride and enjoy an evening of food trucks and lawn games!
This month our Pune Office held a vibrant cultural celebration in honor of India’s Independence Day on August 15th. Acquians came together to pay honor to countless Indian citizens who dedicated their lives to serving the country and sacrificing to win back its freedom from the UK with the passing of the Indian Independence Act in 1947. Members of the Pune office showcased their spirit by sporting the tri-colors of the national flag, hosting quiz competitions and participating in face painting activities.
Acquia shines when employees feel committed, creative and excited about what they do. Our growth is only made possible by the hard work and passion of our team members, which is why we want to continue to recognize success and do all we can to ensure that Acquia is a top place to work. Check back next month for more ways Acquians are giving back, learning more and celebrating our wins together!
Chief People Officer Acquia, Inc.
