Jan. 18, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by POET.

For the second time, POET has won the Workplace Excellence Award from the Sioux Empire Society for Human Resources Management. This award, which POET won in the “larger companies” category, recognizes family-friendly companies with a dedicated workforce that shows a strong culture of empowerment and growth.

“This award represents the dedication that POET’s People & Culture Team has to setting POET apart from other companies,” said Nathan Hay, POET vice president of people and culture. “POET has long been known for our team-focused culture, and we’re excited that human resource organizations have recognized this characteristic of our team.”

POET is always working to continue building a team-centered culture by hiring talented, passionate individuals who want to make an impact in the world. According to Cassie Meyer, POET’s director of people and culture, the people who comprise POET contribute to the overall culture of communication, teamwork and innovation.

“POET’s People & Culture Team strives to recruit and retain high-performing talent. We need driven individuals to change the world! We collaborate with our leaders to support organizational excellence — whether it be through a competitive benefit and a wellness platform, recruitment strategies, effectively onboarding new team members into our POET culture or other various programs.”

POET believes that team members should be recognized for their contributions, and that recognition is personal. The culture is one that acknowledges there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to recognizing teams or individuals. Over time, leaders have shared their recognition practices with one another, which are now compiled into a resource booklet containing hundreds of recognition ideas generated from all POET locations.

“We work with our leaders to develop our talent to their highest potential,” Meyer said. “We pride ourselves on the number of internal promotions year over year! We are here to fuel a healthy, valued and productive workforce.”

One of the ways that POET’s People & Culture Team sets itself apart from other companies is its Wellness Team. This team exists to serve as an amenity to all POET team members and focuses on supporting the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health of the POET team, both inside and outside the workplace.

“Our biggest goal for 2021 was making POET a place that team members wanted to come to work each day,” said Jessica Daale, POET wellness coach and program manager. “In a post-COVID world, more and more companies operate remotely, so it was especially important that we continued to make POET a place where our team members enjoyed showing up to work.”

The POET Wellness Team emphasizes that a key part of the work experience is mental health and its impact, not only on work satisfaction and productivity but also on being able to give one’s best at home. A 24/7 fitness facility with a locker room and free daily classes are available for both team members and spouses at all facilities across POET’s footprint. The team also works to promote overall wellness by providing social experiences in the workplace, including fun wellness challenges and events that get team members and their families involved.

Daale went on to describe the POET Market, which offers healthy food options if a team member forgets breakfast or lunch — or just needs a nutritious midday snack. POET Wellness also offers a mental health serenity space, in-house massages and other therapies at a discounted rate for team members.

“The main goal of our department is teaching people that health isn’t just physical,” Daale said. “You need unity of mind, body and spirit. We work to promote health across the board at a discounted rate, so team members don’t have to leave and go out of their way to have access to those amenities.”

Melissa Fletcher, POET’s life enrichment adviser, provides a source of support, information and resources for team members. Her role is to be a “family compass” to encourage team members in all aspects of life. Fletcher assists team members either by providing guidance and support herself or by working with each location’s designated faith and community ambassador to direct them to the resources their community holds.

“We want people to bring their best selves to work and still have their best selves to go back home to meet the needs of their family,” Fletcher said. “What happens in life brings a lot of stress, so we work hard to be able to give them the support and resources they and their families need, both at POET and in their community.”

A significant part of that support is POET’s bereavement program, which follows an individual for a full year after the death of a loved one. This includes periodic mailings, phone calls and one-on-one support for team members and their families.

“Our goal is to meet people where they’re at on life’s journey, whether it’s a new birth, a family death, marriage, divorce, family issues or anything else life brings,” Fletcher said. “We want to give team members the support and resources they need to actively engage in their work and facilitate whatever may be happening at home.”

POET strives to be a workplace that brings out the best in team members and is a place where they are proud to work. The People & Culture Team provides the resources and foundation for POET’s world-class culture to thrive.

“POET’s culture is truly unique — it’s one where team members feel respected and valued,” Hay said. “It’s a place where leaders act with conviction, integrity, courage, resourcefulness and empathy, and truly lead with a servant’s heart.”

To learn more about joining the POET team, visit poet.com/careers.