Balanced and fun: Paradigm culture acts younger than it is

“We function in a lot more of an organized chaos type of environment. It’s a very fresh creation of things,” said Aubree Martin, Paradigm’s vice president of human resources. “We have the dexterity to start something in one direction, learn all we can learn and say, ‘Oh, we’ve got to go in another direction now.’”

Paradigm, which produces software solutions for the building industry, strikes a creative spark by hiring talented people and caring about their success.

“I think being a people-centric and people-first organization is who we are, mixed in with a little bit of fun,” she said.

For example, its Paradigm Proud is a multi-tiered program that allows managers to reward employees who go beyond expectations with gifts or lunch. Twice annually, 20 employees are awarded $1,000 to try a new experience; some have bought Brewers tickets and rented a bus to take friends and co-workers the game or purchased exercise equipment.

Paradigm also actively solicits employee suggestions — physically and digitally — and reports back to the entire staff what was done to respond to suggestions or provide reasons why they can’t be implemented.

Like much of the working world, Paradigm has embraced workplace flexibility. In the past five years, Martin said, Paradigm went from a Madison-centric business to one with employees in almost every state.

“If your culture isn’t evolving, I think you’re missing the mark,” she said. “Flexibility is one of the biggest things that employees want. And that doesn’t look the same for everyone. We empower our leaders and teams to say, ‘What works for you?’”