Not too long after Josh Pickus became CEO of Net Health, he was faced with not only being new in his role but having to lead the company through a challenging transition after the pandemic hit. As the decision was made to close offices and transition to a work-from-anywhere (WFA) environment, Josh and the leadership team took this as an opportunity to examine ways employees could stay connected without seeing each other face to face in the office. He encouraged his leaders to think outside the box to determine ways to keep employees connected personally as well as professionally
Technology quickly became a way to make work from anywhere work for everyone. Senior leaders encouraged employees to leverage online collaboration tools to have fun and promote deeper connectivity to make up for not being in the office. Things like pet sharing during meetings, line dancing classes using Zoom, local pizza delivers and social groups were among the creative activities that served to bring employees together. Co-workers were encouraged to attend virtual events, interact with leaders via 1:1 coffee chats, participate in Boombox activities, engage in online Slack groups and more.
Additionally, as the WFA culture grew, Josh recognized the importance of solidifying a work-life balance. He helped launch unlimited PTO for all employees in 2020, supported Community, Connection and Caring (CCC) and well-being initiatives led by other employees, and made Juneteenth an official company holiday, starting this June.
To date, Net Health has seen phenomenal positive results that have allowed employees to stay connected and maintain a high-level of productivity, no matter where they are. All thanks to a WFA model.
Humanizing the Workplace
Recently, The Great Retention podcast featured Josh in an episode called “Leading A Successful Culture When Your People Work From Anywhere.” In this episode, he talked about the various changes Net Health has seen over the years, including a number of acquisitions, as well as how important it’s been to keep employees safe and connected even amidst the ongoing pandemic.
While these acquisitions have propelled incredible growth, early on Josh also realized how crucial it is that every single person within the organization feels like they are part of the company.
“We had terrific cultures in different cities such as Nashville and Pittsburgh. But we soon learned it was much easier to have a unified culture that spans the company in a work-from-anywhere environment,” he said.
It goes without saying that Josh has been an integral part in shaping the culture at Net Health to become the warm and welcoming culture it is known for today across all cities and states. By embracing the perks and benefits that have come with a WFA model, employees have seen the creation of an inclusive environment right from the comfort of their home.
Out With the Old, In With the New
The discussion to transition to a work-from-anywhere model started taking place during the onset of the pandemic. Today, the model is here to stay, and all 600+ Net Health employees work from various parts in the U.S.
From All-Team monthly calls where people have a safe space to voice any concern or ask questions, to Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), also known as affinity groups for different things people are interested in, many have discovered a new sense of engagement and connection they did not have access to before.
Being intentional about this transition has been key. “Working from anywhere enables people to be more fully who they are,” said Josh. “If you are intentional about adapting, the opportunities are limitless.”
Check out the podcast below to hear more about all the other positive outcomes and benefits that have resulted from making the change to a work-from-anywhere environment, including the great advantage Net Health has seen in being able to hire people nationally.
Leading a Successful Culture When Your People Work From Anywhere
The Great Retention Podcast, Ep. 2 featuring Net Health CEO Josh Pickus