Week 6: Culture

In terms of company culture, I want to first discuss the NWRA’s values. They place respect, trust, and communication high on their values list. These three values are at the heart of their mission statement: The National Waste and Recycling Association works to be the leading organization providing advocacy, research, education and safety expertise to promote the North American waste and recycling industries, serve as their voice and create a climate where members prosper and provide safe, economically sustainable and environmentally sound services. The NWRA helps the industry and its members by communicating the “advocacy, research, education and safety expertise,” and in doing so is respecting the integrity of the field and trusting their employees to do their best work.

The office attire seems to be business casual, with most people leaning towards the “casual” side. The office itself is not extravagant, demonstrating the relatively relaxed culture. People seem to be the most energized and busy when there is a big event coming up, such as WasteExpo or Recycling Awards. There is not a large lunchroom for employees to mingle and talk, rather a small kitchen/break room where a few people can eat lunch and talk. Some employees eat at their desk or go outside in groups to the food trucks. This lack of space and community leads to people having a few close work-friends but not having the whole office close (at least in my experience). The office itself is fragmented into two short hallways, making it hard to interact with co-workers.

 

My colleague commented on the NWRA’s company culture. She said that the culture is confused and fragmented, since the organization originated from a couple businesses that merged into one. The small size and numerous relatively new employees (4 years or fewer) adds to that confusion. Our resources are limited and the culture is in a process of transitioning.

The highlight of my week is when my supervisor gave me her personal email and suggested that if I ever need a letter of recommendation she would gladly write one for me, as it is clear that I care about the work I do, but my best effort into it, and am both bright and positive.