I’ll never forget my first job after college. I had co-workers that felt like family, and a true sense of belonging. Though happy, I began to question the growth opportunities in my position.
I was young in the workforce and eager for more. So, I began the job search again and landed a position with a national company. I got the chance to learn more, do more and grow more. Yet, at the end of the day, I still wasn’t happy. I was simply just a blip on an 80,000+ employee radar and lacked a sense of belonging.
I realized I traded a sense of belonging for the opportunity to grow professionally and increase my skills. But then I asked myself, why can’t I have both? I wondered if a place existed that would provide a sense of belonging AND provide me with the environment to do what I love while continuing to learn and grow professionally.
The answer is yes! A few years ago, I found HORNE LLP – the answer to my question.
In a recent survey, 96% of team members at HORNE said they would recommend HORNE to a friend as a place to work. I’m one of those team members and though I can think of numerous reasons why I would recommend HORNE as a place to work, I’ve narrowed them down into the three points below:
- Leadership – A recent article by Glenn Llopis on Forbes.com states that one of the six things wise leaders do to engage their employees is to empower them to discover their potential. This speaks directly to the mindset we have at HORNE where every day we are encouraged to reach our Full Potential. Similar to what the article states, our leaders are guided by a mindset of “fail forward.” They aren’t afraid of failure and that empowers team members to step out of our comfort zone, but also know we are not alone when failure happens. I am thankful for leaders in the firm who genuinely want to guide me to be better.
- Flexibility – With the firm’s Fearless Unrivaled Flexibility philosophy, I am free to work with my leaders and team to define what my work day looks like. We believe work is something you do, not a place. Work can happen anywhere. Work can happen on my couch while my sick child is lying next to me and work can happen while stuck in an airport for a flight delay. It’s all about communication. As long as my clients are served, my leader, team and I are free to determine what Fearless Unrivaled Flexibility looks like for me. The outcome should be the same – delivering unrivaled, focused expertise – how we manage all of the moving parts of those deliverables is where the flexibility comes in.
- Opportunity – Our Wise Firm culture is a breeding ground for opportunity. Team members at HORNE can collaborate and contribute to their current work team, but also feel empowered to speak up to their leader, mentor or coach if they’re having trouble seizing those opportunities. Just a few months ago, I heard about a project that was about to begin and I felt like I could contribute some very helpful knowledge on that project. So, I stepped outside of my comfort zone and asked the leader of that project if I could be included. She quickly welcomed me into the fold. I am now more comfortable in seeking other opportunities where I can both learn and teach, as my sense of belonging grew exponentially after that encounter!
At the end of the day, people want to enjoy what they do, and know that their employer genuinely cares about them. That sense of care is a reality here at HORNE. I am glad that I finally found a place to land that has the mix of work and culture that I was seeking. I am confident that our team members will continue to recommend HORNE as a great place to work, because we are passionate about cultivating an environment of leadership, flexibility and opportunity.