As U.S. unemployment rates remain at historic lows, it remains a job seeker’s market for the foreseeable future. While many employers search for solutions for the dual challenges of attraction and retention, companies like Intuitive Research and Technology Company (INTUITIVE®) continue to leverage the programs they’ve used successfully for decades.
Specializing in systems engineering, programmatic support, product development, rapid prototyping, and technology management, INTUITIVE is an award-winning employer recognized by its peers, industry organizations, and major publications for consistently demonstrating excellence.
The most important benchmark of INTUITIVE’s success in supporting its employees is its ability to attract and retain the right people for the right roles. According to Human Resources Manager Sonya Tolliver, who began her 16-year career at INTUITIVE as a student, one key is professional development.
“I started here as a student, then through tuition reimbursement programs, INTUITIVE paid for me to earn my master’s degree,” said Tolliver. “The company also paid for me to earn my human resources certifications and earn the job I have today.”
According to Tolliver, INTUITIVE’s philosophy is that “when our employees are smart, we’re smart, too.” She adds that the company offers professional development training and educational opportunities that put the employees head and shoulders above others in their same field.
“We bring in external training, share internal training, as well as educational opportunities,” said Tolliver. “We even offer basic software training in programs like Excel to help employees be efficient and effective at their jobs.”
Embracing Culture
Professional development means more than just educational opportunities, though. At INTUITIVE, that development also focuses on creating a culture. Jacob Voss, Program Manager who joined the company in 2015, says INTUITIVE accomplishes that through loosely structured programs and guidelines rather than rules or mandates.
“One of my favorite practices in the culture in the electrical engineering group is the non-supervisory sponsor program,” said Voss. “Before we onboard a new employee, we find a mentor for them and link them as a sponsor.” That sponsor’s responsibilities might include calling the new employee before they start work, answering questions, checking in before day one, and meeting the new employee upon arrival to tour the workspace and make introductions.
Building Communities
Because learning and continuous improvement are woven into the fabric of INTUITIVE’s culture, employees take it upon themselves to educate themselves and one another through Communities of Practice (known as COPs). These communities routinely engage subject matter experts to share their specialized technical knowledge. Voss says this provides a dual purpose of sharing knowledge and building a network of experts.
The latest iteration of knowledge sharing is called “Lessons Learned.” According to Voss, this particular program requires a certain amount of confidence and humility. “We literally have volunteers share their failures,” said Voss. “These volunteers discuss unsuccessful processes or programs in the hopes that others will learn from their errors. The real-world experience that’s shared in those sessions is invaluable.”
Fostering Growth
Employees recognized for their leadership potential can take part in development programs like ELITE, which stands for excellence, leadership, innovation, technology, and ethics. The program gives emerging leaders exposure to the company’s executive team, their community, and their coworkers, creating an environment that lets them develop relationships with senior leaders, and demonstrate their technical abilities as well as soft skills.
Voss participated in the ELITE program during his first year on the job. “My team’s project was the INTUITIVE Planetarium at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. We had a chance to work alongside INTUITIVE’s team as well as industry and community leaders across the city of Huntsville,” said Voss. “It was a great educational opportunity for all of us, as well as a chance to demonstrate our commitment to getting the work done—our willingness to go the extra mile.”
Voss added that the chance to make use of his people skills – in addition to his engineering skills – set him up for a step forward on his career path, shifting into business development.
Developing One Another
INTUITIVE’s mentoring program, while not a formal program, encourages all employees, no matter their title or experience level, across the company both to have a mentor and to be a mentor. Voss, who has done both, says the informal nature of the program keeps it from being too boxed in or becoming stagnant.
“In general, we look for employees who want to mentor and guide new employees. Many leaders have taken me under their wings, all the way from the top of the company,” said Voss. “From the other side, I’ve hired a lot of young engineers out of college and mentored many of them.”
Voss says his own mentoring efforts typically go far beyond technical skills. He likes to focus on the nuances of a professional environment that typically aren’t taught in school. “I dig into emotional intelligence, the softer skills that will help engineers grow as professionals. Learning the intricacies of office etiquette and the situational awareness to avoid conflicts with clients or coworkers—these are valuable skills that aren’t always intuitive to everyone,” said Voss.
“Because of the skills I’ve learned on the job in the business development space, I’m also able to provide guidance on topics like putting teams together and estimating costs,” said Voss. “I want to serve as a resource for those who want to move from engineering to business development, as well as those who want to dig deeper into the technical space.”
Following Non-Traditional Career Paths
While engineering companies typically follow a career path for each role in the company, INTUITIVE takes a different, more individual approach. Tolliver calls the approach “performance-based,” noting that it values and rewards good, hard work.
Voss reiterates Tolliver’s descriptions, saying INTUITIVE’s approach trades timed raises for rewards that align with the job employees do and the value they bring. “If someone takes on additional responsibilities, we pay for that,” said Voss.
Tolliver confirms that approach, adding that the performance management process is used to work out an employee’s path. “Depending on what an employee wants to do next, what skills they want to acquire, their next step may not always be straight forward,” said Tolliver. “Sometimes it might be sideways, or maybe even a step back that leads to a new path.”
Establishing A Great Place To Work
INTUITIVE has been named to the Best Place to Work’s Hall of Fame, Military Times’ #1 Best for Vets: Employers List in Alabama, one of the Best of the Best Veteran-Friendly companies by U.S. Veterans magazine, and recipient of the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2021 Platinum HIRE Vets Medallion Award. The reason the company has been so widely recognized is no secret, at least among employees.
“As a company, our leadership values the employee responses to the Best Places to Work survey, and we use those responses to make adjustments where needed and enhance the overall employee experience,” said Tolliver. “Our professional development programs are specifically intended to demonstrate our commitment to our employees. It’s hard to put a price on INTUITIVE’s investment in its employees.”
Making The Right Move
If the current job market has you rethinking your current career path, consider joining an organization committed to employee success, as well as ethics, diversity, and giving back.
From the smallest task to the largest implementation, INTUITIVE takes great pride in its reputation for service excellence and for keeping its commitments. It is also committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and doing business with diverse suppliers.
The company’s success requires the full and active participation of all its talented and committed employees. Embracing individual uniqueness brings creativity and vitality to INTUITIVE, and by fostering an atmosphere of acceptance and support, the company can fully value and appreciate the strengths afforded by the differences, styles, ideas, and organizational contributions of each person.
If INTUITIVE sounds like the kind of cutting-edge organization you’d like to join – and become one of the innovative, empathetic problem solvers committed to giving back to the community – explore INTUITIVE’s available positions by clicking here.
ABOUT INTUITIVE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION:
INTUITIVE® is an aerospace engineering and analysis firm headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama that provides production support, software and systems engineering, programmatic support, product development, rapid prototyping, and technology management to the Department of Defense, other State and Federal Government agencies, and commercial companies. Our approach couples the latest technology with engineering expertise, analytical proficiency, and keen managerial oversight. From design through production to sustainment, we proudly provide management and technical solutions throughout all phases of the system’s life cycle.