Traction on Demand: HR Success Creates a Win Win Business Culture

 

Burnaby based Traction on Demand was winner of the Burnaby Board of Trade’s Family Friendly Business of the Year, the recipient of the Canadian HR award for innovative use of HR Technology and has been recognized as a “Great Place to Work Canada” for the third year in a row.

As part of our Social Development Committee mandate to explore and support Healthy Workplaces, we took the opportunity to talk to one of Burnaby’s leading examples of a family friendly, healthy workplace organization to find out why innovative HR are practices are core to their values and business success.

Manu Varma – People Person at Traction on Demand

What was the impetus for creating this work culture?

Traction was born out of frustration… frustration with the politics and hierarchy that exists out there with so many companies.  Traction decided early, that values are how we want to manage our business.  We are trying to create a community in Vancouver and build a legacy for our families to enjoy, and simultaneously contribute to the tech ecosystem in the communities we live in.

How is it maintained?

To maintain our commitment to our culture, we crowd source our recruiting to ensure our values are front and center,  are never by passed.  Specifically,  any new hire that comes into Traction, has to meet between 8-10 people, that all have to agree, the candidate is not only a great  cultural fit, but are assured to add benefit to our culture.

In addition, we revisit our company values on an annual basis to ensure all new employees are also equally vested in the behaviours that underlie and drive our values.

Are there specific initiatives or examples that come to mind that define your culture?

We have a myriad of initiatives that illustrate our culture.  Traction is building a community and not just a company.  We have an office called Traction 2.0 which is equipped with a change table and toys to give employees peace of mind of knowing that they can bring their kids in to work at any point.  We are also a dog friendly environment, dogs are welcome daily.  We also have an office called #serenitynow, which is dedicated as a quiet space, which some people use for meditation and or prayer. As a certified BCorp, this commitment to the community and the planet mirror Traction’s commitment to family, in whatever the term “family” means to each of our employees.  Eating together and breaking bread with one another is facilitated by a daily free healthy lunch program.