As we shared in part one of our annual recap, the first half of the year was packed with milestones—from prestigious awards and leadership transitions to an exciting acquisition that set the tone for the months ahead. Now, as we dive into part two, we’re reflecting on how the latter half of 2024 brought even more reasons to celebrate.
Hosted a Town Hall Meeting & Annual Outing to the Indianapolis Indians Game for Staffers
In September, our full family of brands came together at our Indianapolis home office for a day filled with donuts, updates, and a whole lot of fun! After catching up on company news, we hit a high note – quite literally – with a musical team-building event. Armed with colorful sound tubes, we broke into groups separated by tube color, to play songs including Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Take Me Out to the Ballgame. It was a whirlwind of sound, laughter, and a little bit of chaos—but everyone walked away smiling (and maybe humming a tune or two)!
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Speaking of ballgames, after the meeting, the staffers headed downtown to Victory Field to attend an Indianapolis Indians game. Good food, great conversation, and a beautiful day – what more could you ask for?
Organized Gleaners Food Bank Staff Volunteer Days
One cause close to our hearts is ensuring that no one in our home state goes hungry. To make it easy for our busy team members to give back, we organized three separate volunteer opportunities at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana during the month of October. During these shifts, our teams served 1,966 families in the food pantry, and helped provide more than 11,816 meals to the community. Together, we made a meaningful impact – one meal at a time!
Hosted our First-Ever Diversity University
To complement DEAMcon in the spring, we hosted our first-ever virtual inclusion conference, Diversity University, in late October. This dynamic four-hour event (which was free to our Members!) featured sessions focused on various areas of diversity ranging from general DEI strategies and disability conversations to LGBTQ+, Native American, and Hispanic/Latinx topics. The feedback spoke for itself – 100% of post-event survey respondents said the event met or exceeded their expectations! We can’t wait to bring it back next year with another set of exciting speakers!
A promotional image for Diversity University featuring three of the program’s guest speakers.
Launched OFCCP Compliance Essentials
Recognizing that not all federal contractors are equal in size or job count, we’ve been working over the last few years to extend beyond our full Member compliance option, to accommodate those with fewer jobs. With a solution already in place for those with 50 or fewer jobs (OFCCP Compliance Professional), earlier this fall we rolled out a more condensed option for federal contractors with five or fewer jobs, OFCCP Compliance Essentials. Available in single job listings, or packs of three or five, these VEVRAA-compliant listings can be purchased and managed online through our e-commerce platform. Simply click, buy, list, and comply!
Another Suc-cessful Member Appreciation 2024
When fall rolls around, Member Appreciation is not far behind! This highly-anticipated program featured 20 days of daily prize drawings, and one surprise gift at the end for everyone who signed up to participate. This year, we had 203 participants, many of whom won prizes ranging from Starbucks and Amazon gift cards to Theragun Minis and Beast Mini Blenders. To thank our Members for helping our efforts take root and making us a suc-cess each person who registered chose a succulent plant for their desk OR were able to donate their gift to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Earned Veteran Ready Certification from PsychArmor
To better accommodate our current and future military-connected employees, and ensure they feel a sense of acceptance and belonging within our work family, the co-chairs of our VetConnect ERG, Michael Witt and Ralph DiBenedetto, set out to help us earn Veteran Ready Certification through our partnership with PsychArmor, a leader in military culture training. Through watching a series of virtual programs, this initiative helps staff understand the military culture better, the challenges faced during the transition, and how best to connect with military and veteran employees. We encourage you to learn more about this program and consider adding it to your initiatives in the new year!
Hosted our Family of Brands for a Holiday Murder Mystery Party
What’s the holiday season without a dash of intrigue and a sprinkle of mystery? This year, our teams came together at the Foxhole at Hotel Tango – the nation’s first combat-disabled veteran-owned distillery in the United States – located in downtown Indianapolis for an afternoon of festive food, fun, and a little murder-y mischief. Over a delicious taco bar, laughter filled the room as a comedy troupe from Murder Mystery Co. guided us through a spirited holiday whodunit, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. It was a sleighing good time, full of clues, camaraderie, and plenty of cheer!
Prior to the holiday party, our Faith-in-Action and ConnectABILITY employee resource groups (ERGs) met at the office to assemble homeless care kits with items purchased by staff. These kits include items such as gloves, nail clippers, deodorant, soap, and more. Once assembled, representatives from the ERGs dropped the care kits off at a local shelter to be shared with those in need.
Members of our ConnectAbility and Faith-in-Action ERGs assembling homeless care kits.
Attended Many Industry Events
Our team really went the extra mile in 2024 – literally! To boost brand awareness and share our expertise, we traveled from coast to coast to attend, sponsor, and speak at numerous industry events across the country. This year we sponsored three events, exhibited at 20, spoke at eight, and participated as attendees in another eight for a total of 39 events. A highlight was our out-of-this-world booth and coffee cart at the 2024 NILG National Conference in Orlando this summer but there are so many other great memories from this year’s conference circuit!
Sponsored a Variety of Community Events
In 2024, our team embraced the spirit of giving, stepping up to support our community and local partners through sponsorships and fundraising events. This year, we proudly sponsored and attended Dining in the Dark, FORE! The Cause, and the Visionary Golf Classic all in support of the Bosma Enterprises and its Visionary Opportunities Foundation. We also sponsored Youth Opportunities Foundation and Elevate Indy’s Evening of Polo as they worked to raise money for vulnerable youth in our community. We look forward to more opportunities to give back in 2025!
From heartwarming team-building events and meaningful opportunities to give back to our community to earning a groundbreaking new certification, this year truly showcased the strength of our mission and the passion of our team.
Here’s to finishing the year strong and welcoming an even brighter 2025! Want to keep up with DirectEmployers’ updates and news? Subscribe to our emails to be notified of our latest happenings as they occur.
