A Team Effort Showcases UG2’s Core Values
UG2 is authentic in all that we do—right down to including actual UG2 employees in the photos and video clips we use to communicate with you. When you visit UG2’s website, view our YouTube Channel, read our social media posts, or review our marketing materials, you’ll see real images of UG2 in action.
I have long admired this approach as a partner of UG2’s marketing team, but I gained an even deeper appreciation when I had the opportunity to witness a recent video shoot. As I watched UG2 Brand & Creative Services Specialist Sayne Jimenez direct production, engage with the UG2 cleaners and engineers who volunteered to participate, and involve those employees in capturing shots that were true to the challenges of the work, I was struck by the realization that I was seeing UG2’s core values play out in real time.
Planning, Preparation, and Putting People First
Sayne and her team had been preparing the shoot for weeks. They’d collected information from the business development team on the types of images that would be useful, created a vision board of shots they wanted to capture, and asked account managers who on their teams wanted to participate. With the goal of capturing high-quality imagery of UG2’s O&M, Janitorial, and Workplace Solutions service lines, they coordinated on ensuring they had the right uniforms, PPE, and supplies on hand, and built a schedule around the volunteers’ availability.
On the day of the shoot, Sayne and team walked through the location and built an impressively long shot list based on the volunteers’ expertise, the layout of the spaces on site at UG2’s new corporate offices, and even the weather to optimize lighting for outside shots.
Going Above and Beyond for a Successful Shoot
From the very start of the day, everyone involved demonstrated UG2’s commitment to go above and beyond. People arrived early and found donuts, coffee, and even homemade baked goods waiting for them. With cameras set up and the scenes mapped out, they got right to work.
Those involved approached every interaction with integrity and respect. Acknowledging that no one knows more about how to effectively approach the tasks laid out on our checklist than the cleaners and engineers themselves, Sayne and her team continuously invited the volunteers’ input and ideas.
The employees who had volunteered to be on camera were excited—but more than that, they kept demonstrating why they excel at their jobs. When the videographer asked for tasks involved with cleaning an office, one of the cleaners rattled off a comprehensive list. Another employee wrote the tasks down on a whiteboard, and there was a sense of satisfaction as those action items were gradually captured on camera, checked off, and wiped away.
At UG2, we often say that our employees’ breadth of ethnicities, backgrounds, languages, and identities make for a diverse and inclusive culture that is one of the most enriching and gratifying aspects of our company. That richness was on full display as the volunteers—men and women of all ages—bantered back and forth with one another and with Sayne in English and in Spanish.
Sayne pointed out that even though the shoot did not capture sound, every conversation they had on camera was work related.
“They’re so dedicated they are literally talking about work whenever we ask them to make conversation for the camera,” she said.
With every “shift change” throughout the day, the new cast of characters came together quickly, effortlessly stepping in to cover for one another and work as a true team. This methodical and disciplined approach to the day paid off, as Sayne’s team completed every item on the extensive setlist with time to spare. The day illustrated how an emotionally intelligent and team oriented approach allows UG2 to operate with excellence in situations large and small.
The success of the effort relied on significant preparation and insight into best practices, but also a willingness to rethink strategies, learn from every take, and let the experience spark new ideas—much like the everyday approach of thousands of professionals who deliver for our customers across the country every day.