Building Connections: A Look at Employee Life on the Workday Pleasanton Campus
As an Employee Life Specialist at the Workday Pleasanton campus, I am part of the team focused on creating meaningful connections and enhancing engagement and Workmate satisfaction. In a hybrid work environment, it can be challenging to build and maintain relationships, so our team is continually exploring creative solutions to foster collaboration and build social networks among Workmates. This can include organizing virtual team-building activities, hosting in-person events, and helping leaders build communication and collaboration within their teams. Sounds fun, right? That’s because it is.
My Journey to Workday
I joined Workday in September 2021 but my Workmate story started long before that. My journey is unique, as I’m one of many family members to join Workday. From a young age, I was familiar with Workday’s culture and values, having accompanied my mom to the Walnut Creek office for Bring Your Kids to Workday and other events. Fast forward to 2023, and I have been a Workmate for a little over 18 months. There has been a lot of change in the last year and a half. From new managers to fast-paced projects, these experiences have taught me resilience and adaptability in the professional world, valuable skills that will serve me well throughout my career.
Employee Life Events at Workday Pleasanton Campus
At Workday Pleasanton, employee life events are an integral part of the company culture, providing opportunities for Workmates to come together and connect in meaningful ways. These events range from blood drives to food fairs to massive holiday parties, and they are designed to foster a sense of community and engagement among employees. One of the first events I had the opportunity to lead was “It’s the Great Pumpkin Patch, Workday,” a Halloween-themed event that celebrated the fall season. This event had over 2,000 pumpkins, hay bales, a professional pumpkin carver, fall-themed games, and food and beverages.
Halloween celebrations are a long-standing tradition at Workday, and it was a great experience to put a new twist on old tradition. The event provided a sense of normalcy and joy for Workmates, especially as more employees returned to the office after a long period of remote work. It was a reminder of the importance of connection and community in the workplace, especially during challenging times.
Creating Meaningful Connections in a Hybrid Work Environment
Workday is well-known for its top-notch culture, and a big part of that culture is the effort that every Workmate makes to foster meaningful connections at work. In addition to the events organized by the Employee Life team, Workday has a wide range of different employee networks, virtual and in-person, that allow Workmates to come together and celebrate each other’s unique backgrounds. These networks provide employees with the opportunity to connect with others who share similar interests or backgrounds, creating a sense of belonging and camaraderie. One of the notable programs at Workday is the Local Leader program. This program ensures Workmates feel good, do good, and have fun with employees at their specific office location. Local Leaders bring Workday culture alive in offices around the world in ways that feel authentic to them. This program is crucial to building and maintaining Workday’s culture, ensuring that all Workmates feel valued, supported, and engaged, regardless of their location.
The Impact of Employee Events
As an event planner, the impact of an event on our employee population is a critical measure of success.
A successful event can help build camaraderie and foster a sense of community among employees, which ultimately leads to better employee engagement, retention, and productivity.
In addition to measuring the satisfaction of attendees at every event, we also look closely at our core desired outcomes of connection and engagement. These include questions like whether attendees were able to strengthen connections from attending the event. Here’s an example: at our Pumpkin Patch, 96% of employees loved their experience!
Beyond things we can measure, like satisfaction, we know there are many other reasons to create these experiences. Being given the opportunity to bring back a long-standing tradition at Workday, like Halloween, gave our Workmates the opportunity to go to a pumpkin patch without leaving the office. I even had a VP approach me and tell me that it was her first pumpkin patch that she had ever been to and how much fun she had. Being able to give someone one of their “firsts” was such a special moment for me at Workday and in my professional career.
Workday’s culture and values are reflected in its emphasis on building a positive and productive work environment. Our unique culture has been passed down from generation to generation of Workmates, including me who has been a part of the Workday family for much longer than 18 months. Workday is shaping the future of employee engagement while helping make people’s work days brighter. We’re looking for people who are inspired by our mission. Visit our careers page or send me a message to learn more.
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