The new normal. Unprecedented times.
While perhaps the most overused buzzwords in 2020, these terms represent the challenges shared by every organization in facing the difficult realities related to the pandemic.
As a leader in the cybersecurity industry, BeyondTrust is accustomed to a fast pace and regularly adapting to meet new challenges. But 2020 demanded that we evolve in new ways. From the early days of the pandemic, BeyondTrust has remain committed to providing a supportive, flexible, and safe working environment for more than 1,000 employees globally. This has required us to reconsider the ways we connect, collaborate, and support each other while serving our customers.
The BeyondTrust culture is rooted in our Core Values, which existed long before 2020, and they helped us guide the way forward. Enabling remote working was only the start of our pursuit to maintain an exceptional employee experience, despite the challenges.
A Year of New Ideas
The BeyondTrust Culture Committee is a cross-functional, employee-driven group that is tasked with creating positive employee experiences and driving engagement. Just like the cybersecurity industry in which we operate, 2020 demanded that we adapt. During the pandemic, the team has remained focused on providing virtual opportunities for employees to stay connected.
This year, BeyondTrust launched the following initiatives:
- Buddy Program: All new hires are paired with a “buddy” to help them adjust to the new role, as well as provide a familiar face at virtual events and a resource to help foster personal connections.
- Mindfulness & Fitness Programs: These virtual sessions included meditation and yoga, wellness speakers, remote workouts, and applying ‘coffee break’ reminders to promote wellbeing and ward off work-from-home burnout.
- Employee “Lived Experiences” Sharing: Through our Diversity & Inclusion efforts, we found it extremely important and beneficial to give our employees to connect and share their own personal stories related to race, gender, and more.
In a socially distant world, these initiatives have enabled us to not feel remote from each other, despite the physical separation we are experiencing from our colleagues.
Career Development Opportunities
BeyondTrust employees were still seeking opportunities to grow their professional skill set, but with in-person training events and face-to-face meetings off the table, the HR team and the Culture Committee partnered and pivoted to offer virtual alternatives. The following programs were launched 2020:
- Mentorship Program: The July pilot included 12 pairs of employees across all levels and geographic locations, including our CEO, who is presently mentoring one of our US Sales Development Representative Managers. The program will continue formally in January 2021, with over 10% of our employee population interested in becoming mentors and mentees.
- BeyondLearning: An online learning platform available to all employees globally, with access to thousands of courses. From Microsoft Excel to Virtual Work Environments, BeyondLearning provides opportunities for our employees to grow within their role and seek knowledge in other areas of interest.
- Leadership Development Course: Developed in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), the Frontline Leadership Impact course was initially piloted in late 2019 and was due to officially launch in April 2020. Despite the challenges that our employees faced throughout 2020, more than over 160 employees globally participated in the program. Read the Case Study here.
- Leadership Mastermind Program: Utilizing innovative leadership techniques in collaboration with our partner Adaptive Growth, BeyondTrust began embedding appreciative inquiry and design thinking in a leadership training pilot.
Employee Engagement
The first pillar of our Culture Committee is Employee Engagement, where we focus on creating an environment of inclusion and belonging. In 2020, this team:
- Created an organization-wide Microsoft Teams group called “BT Universe,” with a number of affinity channels where employees can informally connect on a variety of topics
- Launched a newsletter, the “Culture Chronicle,” to provide updates on what is happening in the business and where employees can get involved in culture initiatives
- Began a quarterly book club, with the first book and discussions facilitated by our CEO. These meetings provide meaningful opportunities to informally network and share ideas.
BeyondGiving
The Culture Committee also leads the BeyondGiving program, providing volunteer opportunities and other ways to give back. In 2020, BeyondGiving recipients included:
- CALM - Suicide prevention organization in the UK
- Fire Disaster Relief charities in Australia
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
- “Movember” in support of Men’s Mental Health
- A variety of food banks in the local communities where we have offices
Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)
The Culture Committee launched our D&I program at the end of 2019, and accelerated efforts after the death of George Floyd and resulting protests across the US and around the world this year. Our D&I efforts and accomplishments included:
- A quarterly speaker series with experts in social and racial justice
- Monthly sharing of lived experiences of our employees
- Recognition as one of the Diversity in Tech Employers of the Year by WomenTech Network
- The development of an Anti-Racism Task Force charged with assessing opportunities for promoting anti-racism and building greater inclusion in our company and in our communities
Expanding on the success of all these initiatives will remain a priority into 2021 and beyond, as the organization continues to seek new ways to elevate our employee experience.
