Providing meaningful recognition to our associates and teams through virtual hospital visits, meetings, or social media is vital to building an engaged culture. That consistent recognition is an essential component of our engaged workforce and during this year especially, a true beacon of strength and community. Reminding associates that their opinions, experiences, and whole selves are valued, and that we encourage everyone to bring their best, most authentic selves to work every day--is foundational to how we make an impact. Banfield Pet Hospital is the company we are today because 19,000+ associates nationwide continue to shape our culture and move us forward. Their voices serve as a primary motivation for our continued growth, change, and advancement.

With each challenge of this year, our associates never wavered from their commitment to "bhere" for one another, our clients, and their pets. At the beginning of our COVID-19 response, we empowered associates to act quickly and independently to create solutions that best fit the needs of their hospitals. The perspectives, input, and expertise from our associates lead to our now practice-wide curbside service guidelines -- enabling us to deliver essential, high-quality care to thousands of pets and their families. That combination of teamwork, creativity, and passion has been such a source of inspiration. What we’ve learned will continue to unlock the future of our practice.

Another powerful way our associates are using their voice is by taking a moment to say “thank you,” and recognize exceptional contributions. Recently, we celebrated National Veterinary Technician Week and the critical role vet techs play on our teams. It was incredible to see such intentional, positive associate engagement on Instagram and in our hospitals as we thanked our vet techs for their exceptional work. Despite the impact of Covid-19, the celebration of our people hasn’t slowed; associates continue to be recognized for their professional achievements including well-deserved promotions or hard-earned acceptances into veterinary school, and are consistently celebrated by everyone in our Banfield Family. These moments of recognition, no matter how big or small, have a lasting impact, and help to make Banfield a company where associates want to start, stay, and grow.

Most importantly, it is our responsibility as leaders to listen to those who know our clients, systems, teams, and culture best. Under the direction of our six Diversity Resource Groups (DRGs) -- each created and led by our associates -- Banfield continues to examine our culture and work to build an environment of belonging. Our DRGs have helped us become more attuned with associate voices, opinions, and experiences while also celebrating our communities’ amazing contributions to our practice through activations such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Quality Week, and bInclusive Week. 

Our DRGs also highlight and support areas where our organization still needs to grow. Over the summer, we made an adjustment by providing the option for associates to add their preferred pronouns to their name badges. Our Pride DRG and LGBTQIA+ associates communicated to us that this change would help them feel comfortable being their authentic selves at work. I am exceedingly proud of the initiative and the heartening effects it has made in the experiences of our LGBTQIA+ associates. 

Maintaining our culture of inclusivity, communication, and recognition through the uncertainties of 2020 has positively impacted every area of our organization. We are stronger thanks to the contributing voice of every one of our associates, and I believe the culture we have built is helping to create a brighter future for our people, pets, and society.