How we Emphasize Continuous Learning at KWSM

23
Feb 2020

Finding the right team members can often feel like hunting for buried treasure. But when you find it – the payoff is worth its weight in gold. The hiring process is something our management team takes very seriously, and they are very transparent in that we don’t hire just to hire, we hire to find someone who is the perfect missing piece to our growing puzzle. 

 

Recently, KWSM President and CEO Katie Wagner, alongside seven other professional women, was interviewed by Forbes Magazine and asked to provide insight on the non-negotiable traits she looks for when finding the right team member. What Katie finds most important? The desire to learn. 

 

In my four years working at KWSM, I’ve gained what feels like a lifetime of experience through not only the work we do but also the opportunity to extend our industry knowledge with continued education. There are three main ways we continue to learn here at KWSM. 

 

Certification Opportunities

 

Since the industry is constantly changing, there’s always a lot to learn! Our team has been afforded the time and opportunity to get certified in a wide variety of areas. Over the last year, I have completed certifications in Google Analytics, Facebook Blueprint, Twitter Flight School, LinkedIn, and SEO. Whenever a new certification becomes available, we jump at the opportunity and always report back to our team on the new skills we’ve learned. 

 

Lunch and Learns

 

Whether it’s from a certification training or webinar, our team makes sure to share our findings with other team members who can benefit. We frequently organize lunch and learns where team members hold masterclasses and present new information they’ve learned. This is not only a great opportunity to share skills and knowledge, but it’s also another opportunity to bond with our team and learn from each other. 

 

Professional Development Speakers

 

Quarterly, our team gathers for an afternoon of personal development. Each year, we’re asked what areas we’d like to know more about, and from those suggestions and requests, we find guest speakers to join us and share their expertise! Some recent topics have included financial planning, communication, and even health and wellness. 

 

The Mentorship Program

 

Our newest initiative turned out to be one of the most fun – and something we’ll be participating in a few times a year. Our team is incredibly knowledgeable, and we were looking for a way to continue to learn from each other in specific areas we are interested in, even if that area is different from what we do day-to-day. From that came The Mentorship Program, a 3-month experience where we were paired up with another team member and worked together as mentors and mentees to learn about a new interest or teach about something we excel in. After the 3-months, we presented our findings to the team, and a winner was crowned. We documented our journey in various blog posts highlighting what we learned and what it was like. Senior Content Editor Layla Lameijer shared her Mentor Program experience and how she mentored Web Project Manager Alexandra Hall on Google Analytics here

 

A desire to learn can’t be taught, but it’s something our current team is passionately interested in. Our team seeks out this desire in all of our new hires because we know that with the desire to learn comes unlocked potential. We’ve just scratched the surface, and we can’t wait to launch our next Mentorship Program next month! 

 

87% of Millennial employees cite access to professional development or career growth opportunities as being very important to their decision of whether to stay or go from a position. 

Ready to be part of a dynamic, connected team?

We want to work with people who are passionate. If you have the ability to get excited and roll up our sleeves to serve our clients, we might just be the work-family you’re looking for!

CLICK HERE to learn more about joining the KWSM Team.

 

 

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