Kettering Culture - What Makes Us Special


Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to work with Vanessa, a student in the network’s summer intern program. Vanessa has spent the summer working in several areas in the business and human resources areas. On these two days, she was assigned to work with me in coordinating General Network Orientation, our orientation presentation for new employees.

As we were working together, we chatted about her experiences here. She told me that she’d had a number of internship opportunities, and I asked her why she chose this one here at Kettering. She said that while a number of the internships were attractive to her, she had heard great things about the culture at Kettering, and wanted to experience what made this organization special. She said that she has found the reports to be true, that this is truly a great place to work.

A recent blog on tinypulse.com looks at the competitive advantage created by a company’s culture. The article looks at the emphasis on culture at companies like Google and Facebook. The author states: “…companies like Google devote substantial time and money into researching what types of work environments produce the happiest and most productive employees. In fact, company culture is becoming one of the most important aspects of recruitment, growth, and identity for an employer.”

Talking with Vanessa, and in conversations with many new employees through our orientation, I hear over and over that people are drawn to Kettering because of the culture. Our culture is built on the Called to Care platform. We are known for making people a priority, both patients and employees. Our culture drives patient satisfaction, quality and safety, employee engagement, and financial performance.

As leaders, we shape the culture, not only for the organization, but for the departments we lead. Understanding this, it’s important to review the principles in Called to Care regularly with our team, and to put those principles into practice with every interaction.




“Why Company Culture is a Competitive Advantage.” Seth Richtsmeier, www.tinypulse.com/blog/why-company-culture-is-a-competitive-advantage

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