Why does Being Good To Your People matter to Bitchin’?

The Definition of Bitchin’ is Wonderful, First Rate, Excellent, Remarkably Good. Being good to your people is a staple of a Bitchin’ company; it’s synonymous with the name! We know that when people are taken care of they take care of business. Giving breeds giving, and we endeavor to create a company (and world) full of givers!

How did you start formalizing this commitment to being good to your employees and what does it entail?

Improving the lives of employees is paramount to us. We experience joy in seeing the passions of our people fulfilled and their strengths utilized. A significant part of our hiring and review processes involve delving into employee goals and dreams. We aim to uncover and utilize these dreams and special talents to brighten the employee experience and strengthen our company from the inside.

In the last year, we took our commitment to our people on a fun new journey, and formed Bitchin’ Givin’. This offshoot of Bitchin’ Sauce is dedicated to the organization of paid weekly volunteer opportunities for all of our team members, volunteer time off (or VTO) where our team is able to work alongside organizations we believe in. Givin’ also focuses on the development of partnerships with those organizations doing great work and the conception and support of company and community events. We believe that people thrive when provided with opportunities to do the Givin’! We also love to celebrate our team with Bitchin’ festivities. A commitment to Givin’ makes all of that possible.

A longstanding commitment to taking care of our Bitchin’ team is Bitchin’ Kids – a free onsite childcare for employees. This benefit means our team members can pursue their career goals while ensuring their kids get the most excellent care available. While our employees are busy growing in their roles, their kiddos can be growing daily as well, and right nearby! Strength and growth in the whole family unit!

Can you share examples of how you embrace diversity, inclusion and equity?

Bitchin’ Sauce is a Women and Minority owned and operated company and an equal opportunity employer. We love and believe in all of our team members and carve out ‘big verticals’ (growth directions and opportunities) for our employees regardless of gender and race.

We seek to embrace diversity, inclusion and equity within our VTO program as well in some of the following ways:

Diversity: multiple “give back” options offered each week to accommodate a wide range of interests, talents and abilities within our volunteer team, and to touch as many different areas of need within the community as possible.

Equity: Attention to company wide communication going out in languages that can be received by all employees

Inclusion: There are options offered which allow employees to bring their children (of any age) to participate in volunteerism alongside them. We love this opportunity to lead by example with the next generation and show them how important it is to seek opportunities to give and contribute to the community around us.

One of our amazing childcare staff offered this additional quote: “In my job, in childcare, I make sure that we have books and toys that represent all races. In creating our activities I make sure that all children can participate. We have kids on different ends of the spectrum and we make sure that we can accommodate them by having enough staff on hand and being thoughtful in our programming – making allowances for time and instruction that is appropriate for each child.”

Can you share examples of how you celebrate and honor each other?

A really fun Bitchin’ benefit, “Employee of the Month” allows for peer selection of a standout employee. Team members have opportunities to praise and share Bitchin’ stories about their co-workers. All comments are shared with the nominees regardless of who is actually selected.

We celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries and hold monthly gatherings to promote a unified culture with an emphasis on team building and opportunities for genuine interaction and fun.

Communicate with respect and kind words?

There is a real trickle down effect to the kindness and respect demonstrated by Bitchin’ leadership that makes its way into the DNA of all of our teams. Additionally, because so much communication is done via technology (text or email), special attention within that communication is paid to conveying a positive tone and also encouraging the recognition of quality work.

Regular employee reviews are held and both positive and constructive feedback by managers and peers is encouraged. All employees from any team are welcome to suggest new ideas and the leadership team is accessible and genuinely interested in those ideas.

What benefits, business value and/or return on investment did you observe by investing in Being Good To Your People?

This is a great question! The most awesome benefit is a very Bitchin’ culture! We have a very low turnover rate, low absenteeism, and high employee referrals.

We’ve observed that opportunities such as VTO and teamwide engagements make our employees proud to be a part of a company that gives back to the community and that the giving itself makes our employees happy! Proud, happy team members do great work and are our greatest promoters.

An investment in VTO has also provided some surprisingly significant team strengthening opportunities. When our employees choose a place to volunteer on a Friday, they don’t always know who else might be signing up for the same opportunity – this means we end up with some really diverse volunteer groups and people working together who might not regularly encounter each other.. This has produced new and lasting connections within our employee group – bonus team building!

Could you share some no-cost or low-cost ideas you’ve implemented that other businesses could also adapt?

VTO is an amazing way to engage with the community and allow the team to recharge and refresh. While the time is an investment, generally the only additional cost associated with the projects our teams tackle is their manpower!

Free Bitchin’ childcare is a game changer for our Bitchin’ employees. Additionally, a focus on making VTO and company events kid and family friendly allows for employees to invest in their community and company culture without needing to sacrifice their family time. We want all our Bitchin’ endeavors to be accessible and welcoming!

Time and again we hear that the little things like birthday cakes, cards signed by all employees, company merch, coffee in the office, and more make a big difference when it comes to keeping the Bitchin’ vibes alive!

Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?

Love doesn’t fail! If the prevailing goal is to love when we consider the approach to our team, projects, and customers, we will be in good shape! We aim to take time to consider how we can best demonstrate our love and care to the team. At times that might require trying something new and untested to offer people the chance to grow, give, and be their best selves. Taking those chances to find new ways to exhibit and exemplify love to the team is always worthwhile.

Do you have plans to expand on what you are already doing?

Our intention is to continue to grow our Bitchin’ brand so that our people can experience more career opportunities and we can continue to expand our giving in the local community. As the company grows, the Givin’ grows. In addition to that, we are always looking for organizations in need that align with our vision and mission. When you tap into the talent, passion, and creativity of your employees the possibilities are endless.

What’s your long-term vision for the company? How Being Good To Your People fit into that vision?

The long-term vision is a brighter future made possible by thriving families and communities. An important piece of that pie is growing Bitchin’ to be a household brand, synonymous with “nut dip”. Such growth will enable the growth of our outreach. We want to keep empowering and mobilizing our team to support children, strengthen families, and nourish communities. We believe that as opportunities for our team to get involved in the community increase, their own satisfaction and happiness will continue to grow, and we will enjoy the many-fold benefits of Givin’!

Are there any organizations, resources or tools you would recommend to help companies embrace diversity, equity and inclusion?

Volunteering in the community has been a wonderful way for our team to see different types of human situations and become more tolerant of others. Exposure provides great education, and serving in this manner has helped our employees and their children embrace diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Once we dipped our toe into Givin, the floodgates opened! Our team became so invested in the Givin’ opportunities that they began approaching us with new ideas and great leads on organizations making a difference. In short, we’ve found that our best resource is our people! When we get to know them, listen, ask questions, and stay aware, they help us grow in our outreach!