Even if your organization already has a positive culture, reinvigorating it can go a long way to keep keeping key talent.
Colleen Pollock, vice president of human resources at technology consulting firm iTech AG, shares how she helped to lead a substantial cultural transformation. For Pollock, it’s about making values felt, not just words on a page: “An efficient work environment is more than just productivity—it’s about working smarter and supporting our team’s holistic well-being.”
What are the most impactful ways an HR team can reinforce and sustain a positive workplace culture for growth?
Culture is about creating meaningful connections where employees feel truly valued and empowered. At iTech AG, we’re a people-first company focused on creating a positive environment where people can grow, contribute and feel genuinely supported.
iTech AG’s 18-month cultural transformation was designed to involve every team member. Extensive interviews and collaborative sessions were conducted to understand what truly matters to our people so we could design programs they’d find fulfilling. Our programs were centered around recognizing individual contributions, fostering collaboration and creating opportunities for personal and professional growth, which all lead back to iTech AG’s values.
The HR team plays a central role in reinforcing and sustaining our culture by integrating the company’s values in everything that we do. One key example is our performance review process, where demonstrating value-based behaviors is not just encouraged but expected as a standard for success.
Open and transparent communication at all levels is essential to building trust and connection across the company. We actively seek employee feedback, whether it be through email, surveys, 30-60-90 day check-ins, or at our monthly company-wide events, while ensuring these channels feel safe, and that employees feel genuinely heard and respected.
Supporting iTech AG’s managers is another critical focus. We emphasize the importance of building strong connections with team members through regular one-on-one meetings, team meetings, active listening and collaborative engagement. These practices help reinforce a culture where employees feel a sense of belonging and know their contributions are seen, valued, and appreciated.
We also encourage engagement and foster a sense of community within the workplace through a variety of events, from happy hours and virtual escape rooms to our annual iTech AG Culture Awards. The Culture Awards, created by HR, allow employees to recognize and celebrate coworkers who exemplify iTech AG’s values in their day-to-day activities.
In every initiative, HR serves as a culture champion, ensuring that our people-first values are not just words on a page, but a lived experience for members of our team.
As an HR leader, you ensure both productivity and employee well-being. What strategies have you found most effective in fostering an efficient work environment?
An efficient work environment is more than just productivity—it’s about working smarter and supporting our team’s holistic well-being. In the federal contracting space, where precision is critical, we have developed strategies that not only drive operational excellence but also prioritize the emotional well-being of our employees.
That support begins on day one, we are continuously enhancing our onboarding process to ensure new hires feel welcomed, supported, informed and set up for success from the start. Our approach focuses on clear communication, providing resources that support employee success and creating an environment where team members feel empowered.
We reinforce this through initiatives like monthly check-ins, recognition programs and ongoing development opportunities that keep both performance and engagement high. Throughout the year, we also invite speakers to lead discussions focused on employee well-being.
Most recently, in March, we had a motivational guest speaker engage employees in an inspiring session on how to embrace one’s strengths and manage stress effectively. These sessions create an opportunity for learning in addition to a genuine focus on employee well-being.
Retaining top talent is a challenge for any organization. Can you explain the strategies that iTech AG has implemented to attract and retain top talent?
Attracting top talent is about offering not just a job but a meaningful career journey. In technology consulting, professionals are looking for opportunities to make a real impact and grow professionally.
Our workplace culture values expertise and supports continuous learning. This includes developing tailored HR strategies, implementing internal recruiting initiatives and creating a culture where employees feel valued and see opportunities for advancement.
Recognition is a cornerstone of our culture. We make employees feel valued and celebrate great work, whether it’s in support of iTech AG’s clients or each other, through programs like iSee You, employee recognition gifts, personal acknowledgements such as work anniversaries and birthdays, or other actions. We believe recognition should be ongoing and come in many forms and we constantly encourage feedback and recognition for our team members.
To support professional development, we provide employees with unlimited access to our learning and development platform to further their skills and abilities. For employees in technical roles, we provide support for earning technology-based certifications supported by the company.
By investing in personal growth and creating a workplace where employees feel supported and appreciated, we’ve positioned ourselves as an employer of choice in the government consulting and technology space.
AI is rapidly transforming the workforce, from talent acquisition to employee engagement. How do you see AI shaping the future of the HR industry? Has it made an impact on iTech AG’s HR efforts?
Broadly speaking, AI is transforming HR in three key areas: enhancing employee experience through personalized service delivery, enabling data-driven decision making and automating routine processes.
AI is creating exciting opportunities to enhance our value while preserving the human element that defines our profession. We’ve been strategic about integrating AI across several HR functions.
Generative AI, in particular, has unlocked new efficiencies: helping us draft documents more efficiently, assisting in creating customized content and enhancing knowledge management. In our day-to-day operations, AI supports us through integrated tools, automating repetitive tasks and assisting with knowledge retrieval and quick access to data insights, allowing our team to focus on more strategic and human-centric activities.
In learning and development, AI personalizes the employee growth experience. The platform we use recommends tailored learning paths and offers an AI Assistant for real-time course suggestions and support, reducing administrative overhead while increasing engagement.
The critical factor is maintaining balance. Technology should augment human capabilities, not replace the empathy and wisdom HR professionals bring to complex people issues. Success comes from leveraging AI for routine processes while investing the time gained into meaningful human connections. This approach allows us to be both more efficient and more human-centered in our HR practices.
