Noonday Collection

2x

WINNER

NOONDAY COLLECTION

COMPANY / Noonday Collection

HEADQUARTERS / Austin, TX NUMBER OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES / 37

YEAR FOUNDED / 2010

After working for Noonday for 7 1/ 2 years, my favorite thing when I started and still to this day is that each team member and Noonday Ambassador is unified in our company goal to make a difference in the world’s most vulnerable communities. We partner with Artisan Businesses that hand-make our jewelry and accessories to create dignified jobs for people who need them. In 2020, our mission was even more meaningful to me when Noonday helped our Artisan Business Partners maintain work for their team members during the COVID crisis AND was able to donate $350K to various causes abroad and at home. One of the biggest blessings in my life is that I can use my personal gifts for Noonday’s powerful social mission.

—LUCY SAYLES / DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ACCOUNTING WHAT MAKES YOUR COMPANY ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO WORK IN DIRECT SELLING?

At Noonday, our mission is to build a flourishing world where people have jobs, women are empowered, children are cherished, and we are connected. We achieve this flourishing through a collaborative commitment to Fair

Trade that enables us to offer customers some of the most beautiful, ethically made products handcrafted by artisans across the globe. We offer “style made with love.”

The dedication to building a flourishing world undergirds all that Noonday does and unifies Noonday’s three main stakeholder groups—Noonday Home Office team members, Noonday Ambassadors, and Noonday Artisan

Business partners. While Noonday may not be one of the largest direct selling companies (yet), we pride ourselves on exemplifying excellence that is second to none. One reflection of this commitment to excellence is how Noonday approaches the fringe benefits for the Home Office team. Though having fewer than fifty employees, Noonday offers benefits on par with much larger companies. Noonday offers medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, three weeks paid time off, 13 paid holidays, two floating holidays, a birthday day off, two volunteer days off, paid maternity leave, employee product awards, and last but certainly not least, the chance for Noonday team members to travel internationally with our Ambassador leaders on award trips to visit the Artisans who make

Noonday’s products.

HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY BRING THE SAME REDCARPET TREATMENT TO YOUR EMPLOYEES THAT YOU GIVE TO YOUR DISTRIBUTORS? 2020 led to high employee engagement. It was tangible demonstrations of care and concern that allowed team members to feel seen and valued. Noonday leadership was vulnerable and forthcoming about the uncertain financial and operational outlook. While refraining from making ungrounded promises, Noonday leadership did commit to putting people first in all decision-making. Regular, relevant, and personalized communication proved essential.

Noonday empowers team members to recognize one another with public appreciation in a way that provides the team joy and fun. The Home Office team has access to a recognition platform that gives team members the opportunity to publicly praise each other and give each other points for jobs well done. We empower managers to give their team members “spot cash bonuses” in cash for when their team members go above and beyond in their jobs. For our more tenured team members, there is an opportunity to travel internationally with Noonday Ambassadors on their award trips to visit our Artisan Business Partners.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR COMPANY, AND WHAT ARE THE KEYWORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOUR CULTURE? Noonday Collection is a socially responsible business using fashion to create meaningful opportunities across the globe. We connect people through style and storytelling. Together, with all our stakeholders, we are building a flourishing world where people have jobs, women are empowered, children are cherished, and we are connected. Our company culture is positive, collaborative, adaptable, and purposeful.

WHAT IS YOUR TOP PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTAINING A GREAT WORK ENVIRONMENT? Putting people first is Noonday’s number one priority. By putting people-first, Noonday drives both exceptional team results and individual well-being. Managers care for team members as human beings, not as “human doings.” Noonday develops high-performing teams by committing to clear promises of what will be accomplished by specific dates, and then teams stay in conversation to navigate challenges as they arise to ensure alignment as they move towards achieving goals.

HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS IN THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? All team members co-design the goals they are committing to each quarter in coordination with their team leaders and manager. As a part of this process, managers and their direct reports discuss personal and professional development goals and explore ways that Noonday can support the development of each team member. In 2020, one of the most celebrated training opportunities provided to Noonday’s managers was the opportunity to participate in a multi-day leadership training class with the Institute for Generative Leadership. The managers that attended raved about the impact that training has had on the effectiveness and fulfillment of their professional and personal lives.

WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT HELPED YOUR COMPANY PIVOT AND SHOW RESILIENCE IN 2020? From the outset of COVID, our top priority at Noonday was keeping team members healthy and connected. A small group of team members were empowered to form a “COVID Council” that met regularly to discuss measures to keep the team safe and to stay on top of government health mandates and new federal benefits. The guidelines for working at the office and at home were formulated by this COVID Council to ensure that the team felt safe and that concerns were surfaced and addressed.

Though physically separated, Noonday team members worked intently at creating connection among the teams through increased communication. We implemented weekly “All Hands” meetings via Zoom. The purpose was to inform and align on business-related matters and to create a sense of community and connection. Each All Hands Zoom call was started with lighthearted icebreakers and small group break-out sessions. During these weekly meetings, Noonday’s Executive Leadership Team shared the ways in which the company was responding to the rapidly changing business environment.

We also worked to translate the fun team member appreciation activities we used to do when we were physically together into socially-distanced activities that could be done virtually. For example, since we couldn’t meet for monthly birthday celebrations at the office, we started sending team members restaurant gift cards to treat themselves to a birthday lunch. In place of our inoffice product line launch lunch celebrations, we give team members the opportunity to purchase lunch on Noonday and then join Zoom to celebrate the team’s collective hard work remotely. n