Robert Frost once wrote, “I can see no way out but through.”
Since the start of the pandemic, businesses have been thrown for loop after loop. Processes and goals had to be constantly reevaluated — and in some cases, turned entirely on their heads. But operations leaders remained at the helm of their organizations, keeping them aligned and leveled amid the whirlwind of it all.
Even now, as companies regain their footing, operations leaders have decisions to make and see through: Where do we fall on the scale between remote and in-person work? What goals need to remain a priority? How do we adapt to still-developing changes and anticipate new ones?
On any given day, these Chicago operations leaders work across multiple teams including customer success, product, finance, engineering, internal IT and human resources — but their focus reaches beyond in an effort to implement company-wide goals. For SDI Presence VP of Operations Jonathan Gair, strategic improvements and hiring approaches are top priorities — especially as remote work policies remain in place. As for Dina VP of Operations Brett Poirier, cross-learning opportunities and refined customer outreach methods play into the company’s goal to create a consistent end-user experience.
In addition to learning about their ongoing projects, Built In Chicago sat down with Poirier and Gair for a glimpse into their day-to-day functions and the trends that might change how they operate. Like Robert Frost, these leaders are focused on getting through.
What does a typical day look like for you, and who do you work most closely with?
My day typically starts with my recruiting team to receive updates about their hiring progress. Next is traditional operations reporting work, followed by coordination with other departments including internal IT, human resources, finance and administration. As we turn to the afternoon in Chicago, our west coast project teams start to provide updates. Nearing the end of business hours, my COO and I will connect to recap the day.
What project are you working on right now, and why do you find it challenging and rewarding?
In the spirit of company-wide strategic improvement, we are looking to implement a new project management tool for our project. This is challenging in the sense of making sure we build consensus in the most gainful way around current project team practices, and rewarding in that a successful 2022 implementation will mean a true project “Rolodex” of status in one location.
How do we recruit the best and brightest for clients that desire on-site work while there is a major trend and preference for remote work?
What are some of the trends you’re currently watching in the operations space, and how do you anticipate they will affect your team’s day-to-day work?
Remote work and return-to-work policies are major issues facing operations leaders. This impacts our hiring approaches, project staffing and daily administration of the firm. We’re asking ourselves: How do we recruit the best and brightest for clients that desire on-site work while there is a major trend and preference for remote work? And how do we staff local resources where travel is less of a burden?
What does a typical day look like for you, and who do you work most closely with?
On any given day, I may be assisting our customer success and implementations teams in support of our clients or providing input to our product and engineering teams to help improve our processes and products and drive efficiencies. Our implementations team works with clients to deploy our solutions and ensure a smooth product launch. Customer success makes sure we are helping our customers successfully use our products to care for people when they move out of the hospital and back into their homes or another post-acute setting.
We work hard to foster cross-learning opportunities so team members gain a different perspective and can better help create an improved patient and provider experience. We have the opportunity to be the champions and ensure there is a consistent experience across the customer and patient journeys. It’s exciting to be part of a mission-oriented company in an industry that is on the cusp of major digital transformation.
Dina’s Key Tools to Stay Connected, Collaborative and Productive
- Notion: Offers easy setup and publishing of content for sharing on Wiki-like pages.
- GuideCX: Used for customer-centered project management experience.
- Kustomer: A new tool used for client support needs.
What project are you working on right now, and why do you find it challenging and rewarding?
As with any growing company, the ongoing maturation of core processes and tools are necessary to scale. We continue to evolve our customer outreach and have moved from a ticket-based system to a conversation-based engagement system. We now have a more responsive and intuitive experience, and it is easier to understand our customer activity.
We’re currently working across teams to standardize productivity toolsets and documentation and content management systems. This is always a challenge and a compromise. Our goal is to strike a balance between ensuring a satisfying end-user experience, being a good company steward and building out company heuristics. There is definitely joy in creating a work environment that provides common expectations while allowing flexibility to delight our team and our partners.
What are some of the trends you’re currently watching in the operations space, and how do you anticipate they will affect your team’s day-to-day work?
While Dina has had a remote work policy in place since its inception, Covid-19 has redefined how and where we work, and we now have multiple talent hubs across the country including Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. These regional hubs allow for remote work with the added benefit of in-person community building.
We are committed to providing great employee experiences that are memorable and bring everyone together. I would expect to ultimately shift to a hybrid work model, keeping remote work policies, while at the same time, looking for opportunities for in-person team building and social interaction. This would likely be a combination of consolidated company events, regional events and the use of shared workspaces and hot spots for regular interaction to ensure our teams are happy, healthy and productive.
