In episode 39, Coffey talks with Andrew Pryor, CHRO at ECI Software Solutions, about building and maintaining a great company culture in a remote work environment.

They talk about Andrew’s initial pandemic experience; his company’s continued growth throughout the pandemic; how ECI has thrived in a remote and hybrid environment over the past two years; how employee engagement actually increased during the pandemic; how they maintained their “culture of recognition” throughout the pandemic; the importance of consistent communication with employees; the value of employee engagement surveys; how ECI took their learning and development program to a remote environment; how ECI emphasized mental health in the second year of the pandemic; Andrew’s appreciation of frontline workers throughout the pandemic; changing working spaces to accommodate hybrid workers; the importance of hybrid workplaces and flexibility in recruiting great employees; the changing role of talent acquisition teams; and how employee expectations differ across ECI’s global footprint.

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About our Guest:

As CHRO at ECI Software Solutions, Andrew Pryor dedicates his time to making ECI the best it can be in every aspect and works tirelessly to ensure employees are engaged and working in an optimal, enjoyable environment. His passion is  utilizing the platform of HR to help employees build strong careers for themselves and, in return, better lives for their families.

Under Andrew’s guidance, ECI’s culture has been recognized as one of the 50 Most Engaged Companies to work for in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. ECI has been Certified as a Great Place to Work in 2017, 2019, and 2020. In 2018, the International Business Awards recognized Andrew as HR Executive of the Year. That same year, his peers in the Dallas HR Association recognized him as Dallas HR Executive of the Year.

Andrew joined ECI in 2015 and has more than 35 years of experience in human resources. Before ECI, he served as Chief Human Resources Officer for Anthelio Healthcare in Dallas, Vice President of Human Resources for BerylHealth, and Senior Human Resources Business Partner to Bell Helicopters Engineering Division. In addition, while serving as the Senior Human Resource Manager, Andrew was part of the original launch team that brought Nokia Mobile Phones to the United States in 2005. In 2012, he co-authored the book SMILE GUIDE Employee Perspectives on Culture, Loyalty and Profit.

Upon graduating from The University of Texas at Arlington, Andrew was named a White House Intern by President George H. W. Bush. During his time at The White House, he worked on the president’s Thousand Points of Light project. He is a past president of the Society for Human Resources Management’s Fort Worth Chapter. Andrew married his college sweetheart, Amy. They have two children, Chloe and Elijah, and one very spoiled rescue dog, Thomas. The family loves mountain hiking and exploring Americas national parks. His long-term goal is to retire from ECI (many years from now) and become a volunteer park ranger for the National Park Service.

Andrew Pryor can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlpryor.

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year.

Additionally, Imperative is included in the prestigious Best Places to Work in Texas list and has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year.

Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council.

Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the benefits of a culture of recognition.
2. Modify learning and development programs for success in a remote or hybrid environment.
3. Redesign work spaces to better accommodate a hybrid work model.