We’re often asked how our company has been able to grow without losing the unique culture that allows us to provide such exceptional service. The answer? Keeping ourselves grounded in our core values and focused on the Ruby Service Pyramid.
What is the Ruby Service Pyramid?
Combined with our core values, we consider the Ruby Service Pyramid the roadmap for success in all that we do. When you think about a pyramid, a solid foundation is absolutely necessary to its overall structural integrity, so let’s take a closer look at the base level of the Ruby Service Pyramid: Be Prepared with the Right Infrastructure.
What does “infrastructure” mean?
It sounds pretty straightforward, but how do you know what constitutes the right tools? What is the true base of the pyramid, the foundation upon which the entire structure relies? We could talk all day about software, CRMs, and TPS reports, but the truth is, those solutions will be different for each business. There is only one factor that comes into play across virtually all business models, and that is its people.
The people we hire are the driving force behind everything that we do, so it makes sense we’d look at “people” as our most critical piece of infrastructure. To keep this foundation strong, we take pains to carefully craft each part of the employee journey.
Step 1: Hire the Best
We figured out early on hiring only the best and the brightest was one of the main elements of success. We carefully screen all prospective employees to ensure, above all else, they’re naturally friendly and delightful. We don’t hire for typing speed and software skills; we look for cheerful, bright, charming individuals who have a desire to serve. We seek these traits out during the hiring process to ensure all new team members are natural cultural fits for our company. Plus, we altered our pay structure to better align with our values and to attract the best possible candidates (and keep them).
Step 2: Incent, Inspire, and Empower
Once we’ve welcomed all of those fabulous folks we’ve hired, it’s time to reap the benefits: wow-worthy customer service! We incent, inspire, and empower our people to make connections, and the result is a true culture of service across every department. We share stories and celebrate successes in order to inspire our team, and we focus on empowerment at every opportunity.
Step 3: Align!
Taking steps to ensure your leadership team is aligned on the important issues is critical to the success of a company’s culture, particularly during stages of fast growth. Maintaining our fantastic company culture is priority #1 for us, and as we grow, it’s important to make sure we’re all on the same page. Everyone in a leadership position or who otherwise has a “big voice” within our company attends a quarterly alignment meeting, during which we discuss company culture and employee morale.
What do you consider the “base” of your “pyramid”? How do you ensure that you’re focusing enough energy on company culture? Share your stories in the comments!
