Flexible and Focused
3 ways ASG policies help employees thrive at work and home
Creating synergy between work and personal life can seem like a Venn diagram of overlapping priorities. People struggle to set healthy boundaries, and 77% of professionals experience burnout. At ASG, flexible policies support employees, who have the freedom to both satisfy clients and keep kids kicking on the soccer field. Here are the stories of three ASG employees who structure their responsibilities to achieve excellence in all spheres of their lives.
Krista Gearhart: Empowered by responsible autonomy
Doing good work is an expectation at ASG. Employees are trusted to perform their best and given the freedom to take care of personal matters. It’s a culture where team members chip in and help each other reach their goals.
This way of working stems from ASG’s policy of responsible autonomy. As ASG defines it, responsible autonomy is a strategic approach to employee empowerment that balances individual freedom and organizational requirements with the expectation of personal accountability, ultimately leading to better engagement and productivity.
Everyone at ASG enjoys responsible autonomy, and the policy really comes into play for employees who juggle demanding jobs along with hectic personal lives.
Krista Gearhart, who has worked at ASG for nearly nine years, is a great example of responsible autonomy at work. As an engineer, Krista is responsible for conducting risk analysis projects. The resulting data helps clients predict what could go wrong with a project and helps avoid mishaps throughout the production process. When she’s not at work, Krista and her husband, Wes, are responsible for two school-age children, Clara and Calvin. The family lives on a farm near Lafayette, Indiana, where they raise alpacas.
Managing a family and farm while working a demanding job is always a challenge for Krista, especially when the kids are home from school. “We don’t have any childcare for our kids before or after school,” Krista said, “On days when I come to the office, it requires coordination between my husband and me to make sure everything is covered.”
Sometimes Krista simply has to put family first. When she’s away from work, she relies on her teammates to fill gaps. “The people on my team cover for me, and I try to cover for them,” Krista said. This mutual support empowers Krista to do her best in all spheres of her life.
Krista emphasizes that ASG’s idea of responsible autonomy is about trust. “The company recognizes that we’re adults and we’ll get our work done. As a policy, it works incredibly well.”
Kelsey Cilburn: Bolstered by remote work options
At a time when many companies are scaling back their remote work options, ASG continues to prioritize flexibility for its team members. Flexible schedules, including remote and hybrid work options, help busy employees choose how they’ll accomplish their responsibilities.
Kelsey Cilburn, a project scheduler at ASG, loves her position, which is mostly remote. The flexibility gives her time to balance her responsibilities. At work, she manages maintenance, calibration and repair of lab equipment for her clients. She also maintains and manages project schedules for her clients. At home, she takes care of her 18-month-old son, Luca, and navigates a major lifestyle change with her husband, Mike.
What’s the big lifestyle change? Kelsey and her family recently moved from downtown Indy to what she calls “the sticks” of East Central Indiana to embark on a rural adventure. They’re raising chickens and exploring subsistence farming. They’re also considering homeschooling Luca when the time comes. That wouldn’t be an option without a remote work schedule and teammates who step up when co-workers need help.
“It’s definitely nice to work for a company that’s so flexible,” said Kelsey, who balances childcare between a nanny and her mom. “I feel blessed.”
“ASG is a great company to work for when you’re trying to manage a family,” Kelsey added. “Our team leads and management really work with you to make sure you have time if you need it.”
Tyler Bouslog: Free to set boundaries
Tyler Bouslog, a materials manager at ASG, helps clients keep track of their inventory and supply needs while coordinating important purchases. He’s also a husband and father. Tyler and his wife, Sarah, are the parents of a lively five-year-old daughter named Blake.
Tyler, who has worked at ASG for six years, admits to occasionally struggling with work-life balance. One Thanksgiving, he found himself working late and missed out on precious family time. “I ended up working from 8 o’clock until after 11:30 p.m. that night,” said Tyler, who soon realized his own inability to set boundaries had caused the problem. Something had to change.
It was time for Tyler to take charge of his schedule. “You’ve got to draw boundaries for yourself,” Tyler said. “You need to be mindful and understand what you need.” Now Tyler takes care to balance his time between work and home to satisfy clients, his family and himself.
Learn more about ASG’s client-focused and employee-friendly culture.
