03-07-2025
You Can't Declare A People-First Culture: You Have To Earn It
Ricardo Madan, Senior Vice President and Head of TEKsystems Global Services.
Plenty of companies claim to be 'people-first,' but far fewer can back it up.
That's because workplace culture doesn't come to life through company rebrands or bolded statements on careers pages. It shows up in real actions and experiences: how people are supported, the opportunities they're given to grow and the consistency of those experiences across the organization.
Without a meaningful commitment to your people, even the most talented teams struggle to stay engaged.
So, how has our company, TEKsystems Global Services, retained over 90% of our people? We earned it.
The Blueprint Behind Our People-First Culture
People are the heart and soul of any organization, sustained by the leadership, systems, decisions and daily behaviors that influence how employees grow—and how customers experience your business.
At TEKsystems Global Services, we've grounded that approach in four commitments: beginning with a customer-first mindset and carried forward through intentional investment, authentic leadership and shared accountability.
If you want to build a culture that drives high performance and helps your people thrive, take a page from this playbook.
People-first is more than a talking point. It's a business imperative rooted in purpose. To truly be people-first, that purpose has to extend to both employees and customers.
When you put the customer at the center of everything you do, your business priorities, opportunities and challenges come into sharper focus. Once employees see how their work drives real impact for customers, you can better invest in them as leaders ready to carry that purpose forward.
That's how a people-first approach becomes a long-term business strategy: by enabling your team to adapt, grow and lead in today's rapidly changing tech landscape.
This belief is reflected in our mission to become the No. 1 transformation partner for our customers and the No. 1 career destination for our people, neither of which is possible without the other.
People are your most valuable asset. Invest in them accordingly.
Our company reinvests nearly 50 cents of every dollar earned back into our people. That includes compensation and profit sharing, but more importantly, it means ongoing, structured investments in training, upskilling and development. In a world of constant change, this approach keeps our teams sharp, adaptable and ahead of the curve.
That doesn't mean we throw money at every flashy certification. If a development opportunity doesn't meaningfully serve our employees or customers, it doesn't make the cut.
For example, a Six Sigma Black Belt or the latest agile management certification might sound impressive, but if it's not directly tied to solving a real client problem, it's probably not worth pursuing. Our people development investments always matter—and are guided by the customer-facing challenges ahead.
When training is done right, it has a measurable impact: 59% of employees say it improves their overall job performance, and 51% say it gives them more self-confidence.
And while it's easy to say, 'We're investing millions in AI training,' the real challenge is delivering role-specific upskilling that cuts through the hype. This is especially true with rapidly evolving GenAI tools and techniques, where substance matters more than splashy declarations.
By making people readiness a business imperative, we equip teams with future-focused skills that support long-term career growth and help them evolve in lockstep with customer needs.
It's one thing to train employees to manage and lead for results. It's another to equip them to lead with presence, empathy and purpose. We believe the best leaders do both, driving business outcomes while supporting people through uncertainty, change and complexity.
This leadership capability is especially important today, and even more so in tech. We're seeing disruption across economic, social and personal spheres, and leaders must help navigate the volatility for their teams.
Beyond dashboards and KPIs, leaders require emotional intelligence and situational awareness. Good leadership is the culture that holds everything else in place.
That's why we invest in programs like TGS Converge, our immersive leadership development experience. The initiative prepares managers to lead holistically, keeping teams grounded while driving material results.
When leaders are supported in building soft skills and emotional intelligence, they create space for others to bring their best selves to work, without losing focus or accountability along the way.
At the end of the day, it's not snacks or swag that keep people engaged. While we all like a pizza party or branded hoodie, when have those ever sparked real motivation or inspiration? What truly drives engagement is whether people see real opportunities to grow, believe in the direction of the company and trust the leaders guiding them.
A supportive company culture means being honest about what growth requires and then creating an environment where people are trusted to rise to the challenge.
Growth is most sustainable when built on co-investment. As leaders, we provide tools, training and access, but our people have to put in the effort, too. It takes shared time, energy and follow-through to turn resources into meaningful career development. That's what mutual accountability looks like in action.
Whether it's upskilling on new platforms or experimenting with emerging agentic technologies in sandbox environments, our people are expected to lean in, learn and take ownership of their path forward.
That mindset is how we sustain a high-performance culture, without burning people out or losing the human side of our work.
The Payoff Of Putting Your People First
Building a people-first culture that works and lasts requires intentional investment, leadership that shows up consistently and shared accountability at every level of the organization.
When your people are empowered, supported and challenged, they grow in ways that ripple outward—fueling innovation, raising the bar for those around them and shaping what's next for the business.
A people-first culture is a long-term commitment to making sure your employees are equipped, trusted and motivated to do their best work.
And it's a business strength that's earned every day, not assumed. What are you doing to earn it?
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