Each year, as we look forward to new beginnings, it's essential to make room to reflect. While it’s tempting to run full force into the next big project or next resolution that will make us - to borrow from Daft Punk - harder, better, faster, stronger, we owe it to ourselves and our teams to take a beat and genuinely self-reflect. Besides, we aren't machines, and what really enhances growth is learning from the past.
We understand this year brought hardships and grief to many worldwide. We want to honor those lost and those whose lives were negatively impacted through the struggles, large and small, this year. While we have also been affected in many ways, we would like to take a moment to celebrate the strength, resilience, and ingenuity we've all shown as well. So, today we reflect on the highlights, success stories, and lessons in the hopes that you too can reflect on the positive moments of the past year.
While many of us aren't big on bragging, we want to show you how company culture really makes a difference. At Omnia, we use our assessments to develop and maintain a reliable team. With a solid team, you can get through almost anything. And in this, our 35th year of business, we did just that.
We'll kick it off with Jennifer Lucas because she put it so perfectly.
"Like everyone in the world, we had to rearrange everything about the business in no time. Our team made some major adjustments, and though we were scared about the future, we all worked together and took it in stride. With so much uncertainty in the world, it was such a relief to know I still had a job, and I could still make meaningful contributions to it. It made me grateful for, and proud of, my team and company."
"We have re-invented so many processes at Omnia this year. While we turn 35 years old, that doesn't mean you have to grow old and continue to do the same things, in the same ways. We have made huge strides in utilizing Salesforce to a fuller potential, established marketing and sales processes to continually keep the pipelines full, and created an online reference and "playbook" system. Processes and procedures are documented and can be followed by all. All this serves to allow Omnia to better serve its employees, which, in turn, allows our clients to be better served. Omnia in 2020 is not the same Omnia as in 1985! It is even more agile and client-centric than ever." – Steve Rorrer
"Starting a new job is always a challenge – so taking on a Sales, Marketing, and Client Service executive role one month before the world literally shut down was a bit freaky! In hindsight, though – I believe the downtime allowed me to take more time to get ramped up even more thoroughly. It was a gift!
We used the downtime to build great playbooks for our team. We updated key client service processes and documented them to aim for a better customer experience, not to mention a better way to onboard new associates.
On a personal note, I'm very grateful for the gift of time I got to spend with my daughters and husband. My husband and I travel quite frequently, so being home together every day was a blessing – and yes, sometimes a challenge as we got used to the new routines and all that togetherness. The flexibility of online learning gave us more opportunities to see our daughters with extended visits at home. I never imagined I would have seen my college freshman or senior so much this year, or that we as a family would get so much time together." - Keather Snyder
"One of the best things about 2020 for me was getting to know our clients better. "I hope you are doing well," took on a whole new meaning. I got familiar with some of our clients' dogs because they were trying their best to contribute to the conversation! Their babies and kids, too. Many of us were suddenly dealing with everyone being at home for school and work, and I looked for ways to make it as easy as possible on our clients. And there was shopping! I virtually assisted one small business owner while he hit up the Best Buy for all his employees' telecommuting equipment. If there was one thing we learned in 2020, it was that work doesn't just happen in the office." – Cynthia Brooks.
"Even though I truly missed all the travel and face-to-face client meetings, I think I actually participated in more conferences than in any year prior. There were a wealth of interactive, engaging conferences – and doing so virtually gave me the time and cost savings to attend more. Through these experiences, I also grew my network exponentially – this was actually a blessing of 2020 as a new associate to Omnia." - Keather Snyder
"We're on the verge of debuting new targets geared toward employees who work remotely, which is really cool. Also, I think bringing on 200+ new customers during a global pandemic is fantastic. ? Plus, Omnia has hired some STELLAR people this year!" – Alaina Sims
"We stayed together! Our Omnia Team never had layoffs, and everyone pivoted to work from home. We have now grown our team adding two new associates in Texas." - Keather Snyder
"Remote work got me motivated to finally turn my son's room, he's out of the house now, into a proper home office. It was a project that I should have done a couple years ago, but quarantine and working from home gave me the need to create a more productive workspace along with the time to get it done." – Wendy Sheaffer
"I learned that I can work from home. (Like the rest of the world). This sounds like a basic task, but for somebody who was "always on the go" and drove 3 counties frequently, this was very different. The best thing is that I learned a lot about myself and feel that I am much more efficient with my job. I also think that I am a better teammate and can assist more when needed. I have learned that if we all try our best and work together, it seems to always work out." – Jamie Morlock
"Although 2020 has had lots of challenges for people worldwide, I've been able to make the most of the challenges that came my way. I got furloughed from a job that I had outgrown and should have left a while ago. Thanks to the government's stimulus package and the banks' programs to defer house and car payments, I was OK financially through the summer. As a result, I had the summer off with my kids for the first time since they were little. I enjoyed spending time at home and did lots of organizing, cleaning, and decorating.
I fulfilled a long-held dream to run for public office. Due to the pandemic, the election got moved to coincide with the presidential election. I put up signs, gave speeches, and campaigned via social media. I won the election against a 10-year incumbent and started my two-year term on City Council in December.
Best of all, though I got laid off in September, I interviewed and got hired at Omnia in October. I've been having a great time meeting everyone and learning lots about our products and services. I can't wait to see what 2021 brings!" – Linda Salazar
We're celebrating 35 years as a business. Like Steve mentioned, this year isn't anything like 1985 when we started. It's also like no other year in Omnia's, or the world's, history. We have been resilient through the changes, and it's made us stronger, as people and as a company. The updates, playbooks, processes, and deepened relationships are only the beginning. Omnia has been an excellent company to work for and work with for decades. Now we're ready to take it to the next level. As always, we remain people-first and customer-focused. We hope you join us on this next adventure.
