How DPCI's Consensus-Based Values List Serves as Guidepost for Management and Employees

Article by Lauren Fischetti, staff writer, DPCI

Over the past year, employees at Database Publishing Consultants, Inc. (DPCI) have witnessed the remarkable effects of a team meeting in which they created a list called “The Things That Matter Most to Us.” The meeting, led by DPCI President Joseph Bachana, launched a staff initiative to better understand the company’s shared values and culture. Since then, the list has served as a guidepost and reference point for current and prospective employees as well as customers.

Looking back over the company’s first seven years, Bachana noted that while some employees have remained and flourished, those who left or were dismissed never seemed to fit in. Realizing that the employees who thrived shared many common attributes, he decided to pose a question to the staff: “Why are you here?”

This simple question elicited a discussion about the common ideals held by DPCI employees. A year later, staff members say they felt passionately about their association with DPCI, but agreed it was important to distill those feelings into key concepts. The list they created highlights the company’s core ideals and the value employees offer clients both as individuals and as a team.

Innovation, responsiveness, courage, integrity and fair witness are a few of the terms the group came up with. Bachana says that listing these values has helped staff better understand themselves and their direction as a group.

The list has seen its greatest success in its impact on hiring. While in the past the company had relied heavily on prospective employees’ knowledge and experience, it began to focus more on these new ideals during prospective employee interviews.

Placing the list on the company’s “About Us” page has also affected hiring by attracting potential employees who share similar ideals and deterring those who do not. The list serves as a benchmark against which DPCI can measure candidates and has resulted in significantly fewer hiring mistakes.

Beyond aiding with hiring success, putting the list on the website helps customers better understand DPCI’s culture. “It conveys how we operate,” Field Engineer Jeff Rigby said. “It shows clients what we’re about and what values matter to us.”...

   

        

Contact DPCI to learn more about our Web content management systems,
digital asset management solutions, online collaboration software, custom development, multi-channel publishing systems, and workflow management solutions.