The Power of People: How Investing in Our Team is Driving Success
Our people are our greatest asset. Here’s how investing in them is transforming our business and our communities.
At Optimum, we believe that our success starts with our people. From the technicians in the field to our engineers behind-the-scenes to the customer service representatives and our retail store teammates on the front lines, every team member plays a critical role in delivering exceptional experiences for our customers. That’s why, as part of our transformation journey, we’ve made it a priority to create an environment where every employee feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Building a Culture of Collaboration and Trust
Over the past year, we’ve taken significant steps to transform our workplace culture. Here are just a few of the initiatives we’re most proud of:
Establishing a Center of Excellence: We’ve built a team of subject matter experts whose sole mission is to improve the employee experience by collaborating across enterprise functions, defining governance, and enhancing our people programs. For us it's not just window dressing, we are focused on driving sustainable change “below the iceberg”. This team is driving transformation throughout the lifecycle (from recruit to retire) across the three areas where culture manifests (socially, in our physical workplaces, and in our digital workplace).
Defining Our Guiding Principles: In January we evolved from 8 mindsets, a customer promise, and leadership pledge to one simple set of 3 guiding principles that enable us to Be The Difference. For us they are more than just words, they serve as the foundation for Life at Optimum:
- Do What’s Right is about putting people first – cultivating safe spaces, building trust and nurturing growth;
- Drive One Optimum is about being purpose-mission, embodying mission over self, and centers around community;
- And Make it Happen is about being nimble, taking ownership, and embracing change.
Evolving Our Approach to Listening: We have implemented various feedback channels to ensure that every employee has the opportunity to make their voice heard. From lifecycle and engagement surveys to leadership roundtables and feedback sessions, we actively seek input from team members across various groups and regions. This feedback has been instrumental in shaping our initiatives and making meaningful changes within the organization. We’ve also changed the frequency of our engagement anchor and pulse surveys based on employee feedback, allowing for more time to take action in between surveys.
Equipping the Optimum Leader: We’re introducing new programs designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders within Optimum. These programs focus on developing essential skills, fostering a growth mindset, and encouraging collaboration across departments. We know that leaders are on the front lines of employee experience, so we are prioritizing ensuring they are equipped with the tools and skills they need to inspire their teams and drive results. We’ve taken a phased approach starting with senior leadership and frontline managers.
Revitalizing Engagement: Earlier this year we introduced a new digital engagement platform to replace our previous intranet platform. We’re using this as a key enablement tool that puts our colleagues in the driver’s seat. One place they can access news, tools, information, fuel knowledge sharing, and elevate daily recognition. We’ve seen solid adoption with the platform and significant engagement in recognition since launch – across levels and functions.
Thanks to our ongoing culture transformation initiatives, all directly influenced by employee feedback, we were honored to have earned a Great Place to Work® Certification™ this year. In addition, Optimum won the Work Culture Award at the 2024 Cablefax Top Ops awards. These honors are a testament to our commitment to creating a positive and inclusive workplace culture, where our employees feel valued, supported, and empowered.
Empowering Employees: The Key to Better Customer Experiences
When our employees thrive, our customers thrive. Empowering our employees has had a profound impact on our customer experiences. By emphasizing the employee experience, our customer-facing teams are more engaged and motivated to deliver exceptional service. This, in turn, leads to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. From faster response times to more personalized support, our teams are going above and beyond to deliver the exceptional experiences our customers deserve.
Again, we see improvements internally, and our progress has been recognized externally, with Optimum receiving recognition from Ookla®, PCMag, CNET, and Reuters for our network and customer service.
A Foundation for the Future
Our journey towards cultural transformation is ongoing, and we remain dedicated to empowering our employees and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. At Optimum, we’re committed to building a workplace where every employee feels inspired to do their best work – and where every customer feels the impact of that commitment.
Thank you to our incredible team for making this possible. Together, we will Be The Difference for Optimum and the communities we serve.
Colleen Cone
EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer