With many organizations working from home or a hybrid of on-site and remote, many leaders are asking how we keep our staff engaged and maintain our culture.
We definitely don't have all the answers, however, as one of Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For," a two time winner of Inc. Magazine's "Best Workplace," and a six time winner of Crain's Chicago Business' "Best Companies to Work For" we thought we'd share what we have been doing in the hopes that it sparks some ideas for other organizations. As we continue to add more ideas regularly, come back for more inspiration!
If this looks like a culture you'd like to be a part of, we may have a spot for you on our team. View our open roles here.
Thanksliving
One of our favorite traditions, ThanksLiving is an annual dinner hosted by our CEO, Tom Gimbel, to ensure that every LaSallian has a place to gather for the holiday. The name was originally inspired by our CEO's grandfather who would always say, “When you get to be my age, it’s ThanksLiving!”
This year, we were fortunate to take our annual tradition nationwide, as our Dallas team joined in on the celebration for the first time and our remote employees hosted a virtual ThanksLiving.
LaSalloween
We hosted our annual Halloween party in each office and remotely, complete with a potluck, costume contest and more! We had secret judges at each of our offices and for our remote team who chose costume winners, as well as awarding the ‘People’s Choice’ based on virtual polling on Instagram. Check out the winners here!
Sales Team Scavenger Hunt
For a little team bonding and to embrace some healthy competition, our sales team held their annual scavenger hunt – Halloween edition! The team was split into groups, donned themed costumes and hit the town to find key landmarks and accomplish different tasks quicker than the other groups – with photo evidence, of course!
Q4 Kick Off
To welcome in Q4 and get motivated and reinvigorated to end 2022 strong, we gathered as a company to hear from our CEO and celebrate some award winners and promotions. We looked back on the year’s progress so far, refreshed on the goals for the quarter and learned a little bit of what is to come.
Wedding Showers
We celebrated a few LaSallian brides-to-be and their significant others with a happy hour, wedding shower! We loved meeting their fiancés and showering them with all the well wishes before the big day.
Intramural Softball
We’re a team both in and outside the office! LaSallians embraced a little healthy competition by forming an intramural softball team.
Volunteer Event
LaSallians partnered with Breakthrough to help clean up their community gardens in a half-day volunteering event. Breakthrough provides resources and services to individuals who live in the Garfield Park neighborhood.
LaSallemas 24
LaSallemas week is one for the books! Not only do we celebrate the anniversary of our inception with LaSallians flown into our HQ from across the country, but the entire week is jam packed with surprises, games, competitions, giving back, and more.
We’re taking you on a tour of our week of celebrations that culminated with the main event hosted at Athena and The Old Post Office with dancing, dueling pianos, a fire breather, bagpipes and more.
Ice Cream Socials
LaSallians broke out into small groups, each led by a member of our Executive Management team for ice cream. These groups were compiled of various teams and tenures in order to help LaSallians get to know one another and have valuable face-to-face time with leadership.
Bring Your Kid to Work Day
LaSallian parents brought their kids into the office for meet-and-greets, games, snacks, and LaSalle-themed activities.
Segway Tour
With the entire management team flown in from across the country, the team adventured out to take a segway tour of Chicago, learning more about the city and one another!
Sunrise Yoga
We hosted a morning yoga class along the Chicago River, courtesy of Room to Breathe yoga, for any LaSallian wanting to get their body moving before heading to the office. Integrating self-care, health and some relaxation into a busy week helped LaSallians recharge to take on the day.
Theme Days
From pajamas to western ware, LaSallians came in their finest to celebrate themes each day.
Blood Drive
We partnered with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive on-site in our headquarters for any LaSallian wanting to and able to donate.
Catered Lunch
No better way to fuel the entire group than catered lunch from Portillo’s for each office!
Summer BBQ
One leader hosted a barbeque for various teams that included LaSallians who flew in for a chance for everyone to spend quality time together.
Virtual Games
We played Caption It! at our virtual companywide meeting where photos from LaSalle past were shared on screen and LaSallians added their best caption to the chat box, with secret ‘guest judges’ choosing the best caption for each photo.
Charity Support
No LaSalle Network celebration is complete without integrating some way to give back to our community, especially causes near and dear to LaSallian’s hearts. Throughout the anniversary week celebration, LaSallians were able to submit their favorite charity along with a paragraph on why it stands out and is special to them. At the end of the week, eight charities were chosen to support, which was announced at the toast before the LaSallemas party celebration. The charities supported included:
- Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
- The Children’s Heart Foundation
- GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
- The Hispanic Institute
- Hazelden Betty Ford
- Harrisburg Humane Society
- The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
- Dave Thomas Foundation
Backpack Drive
Our Diversity, Equity and Belonging Committee (DEB) organized a school supply drive with Kids Above All, raising nearly $1,000 to provide backpacks and needed resources for elementary, middle and high school students in need in the Chicago area.
Sales Team Retreat
Our entire sales team spent two days in Lake Geneva packed with educational sessions around the art of selling and relationship-building, with group activities and no shortage of laughs. As a 12X “Inc. 5000” honoree, our leaders greatly value learning, growth and development, which is one reason we prioritize offsite training retreats like this. If this looks like a team you want to join, we’re hiring. Apply today.
Off-Site Leadership Training
Our recruiting leaders spent two days offsite with our executive management team for in-depth training and were joined by external experts to facilitate sessions on leadership and management.
Volunteering with By the Hand
A group of LaSallians spent the day in the Austin neighborhood with By The Hand to get facilities ready for students this fall. By The Hand has six locations in underserved communities throughout Chicago and partner with charter schools to provide an after-school/summer program that supports kids from kindergarten through college. By The Hand focuses on areas like improving literacy levels and expanding students’ knowledge of career paths.
FirePRIDE Chat
We hosted a fireside chat with three LaSallians who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community for an authentic conversation moderated by our CHRO. The company tuned in virtually and joined in-person to hear each panelist’s unique experiences, perspectives and challenges.
Pride Trivia Night
To help celebrate and learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and history, we hosted a virtual, company-wide, pride-themed trivia night packed with questions on LGBTQ icons, historical moments and pop culture.
Offsite Developmental Retreats
Various groups of LaSallians have been taken offsite to join our executive management team for packed days of training and development specifically designed to help advance their career paths and help them become stronger professionals. The offsites were filled with group activities, educational sessions on leadership and recruiting, and quality one-on-one time with our leaders.
Threshold’s Gala
We were proud to join Threshold’s Chicago at their annual gala to raise awareness for mental health and substance use conditions. LaSallians have volunteered with Thresholds for years to support their staff and members and love giving back to a great organization that supports our local community.
Cinco de Mayo Celebration
We kicked off a Cinco de Mayo celebration with Mexican food catered to each of our offices! We also learned about the origin of Cinco de Mayo (it’s NOT Mexican independence day!) during a company townhall.
Mother’s Day Event
This Mother’s Day, in addition to celebrating LaSalle’s working moms and moms-to-be, these LaSallians gave back to the community. Our mother's group, led by our Chief Operating Officer, meets quarterly, and most recently hosted a toy and clothing drive.
LaSalle Network CEO’s 50th Birthday
We helped our CEO, Tom Gimbel, ring in his 50th birthday by surprising him with a few musical guests throughout the day - he was even serenaded by the King himself! Happy birthday, Tom!
Egg Hunt
We had an EGG-cellent time at our annual egg hunt in each of our offices! Congratulations to our winners who found the most eggs and discovered the coveted golden egg.
Book Club
Our Book Club and Diversity, Equity and Belonging committee partnered to host a discussion around “Between the World and Me,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a book written as a letter to his son about growing up as a Black man in the United States.
Kick Off
We had so much fun getting back to our first in-person Kick Off meeting since the pandemic! We got to celebrate LaSallians who won awards and earned promotions, as well as company highlights from the quarter, and heard from our CEO on what goals lie ahead.
Baby Shower
Congratulations to Senior Director, Jay Camper, and his wife, Ali, on their baby girl! We had so much showering them with love as they entered parenthood!
Company Incentive Trip
After exceeding our 2021 goal, LaSallians were rewarded with an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas! While many organizations just reward their top producers for exceeding goals, at the Briefcase, we celebrate with everyone, from office assistants to C-level executives, because we recognize the team effort it took to meet and exceed goals.
March Madness
After spending the last two years celebrating virtually, last week we brought back our annual March Madness open house hosted at our headquarters. From the popcorn and hot dog stands to our chili cookoff and green beer, it was an awesome day celebrating the tournament’s kickoff with our clients!
Veteran Fireside Chat
Our CEO, Tom Gimbel, sat down with our veterans to discuss their journeys within the Military and their transition into the business world. In a raw conversation, LaSallians joined in-person and virtually to hear first-hand stories and experiences that continue to remind us about the ultimate sacrifice our country’s veterans and those currently serving make for our continued safety.
President’s Club Incentive Trip
Our record-breaking 2021 would not have been possible without the work of our sales team. The salespeople who crushed their goals and made it into LaSalle's 2021 President's Club spent four days in the sun with a few of our executives in the Bahamas to celebrate!
In-Person ReBirthday Celebrations
After celebrating LaSallians ReBirthdays (work anniversaries) virtually for the last two years, festivities are finally back in-person! At each of our offices, LaSallians gather once a week to recognize their peers for achieving another year with LaSalle, which include a speech by the LaSallian and their manager. These are also live streamed so those virtually can join and celebrate, too! Sometimes we have surprise guests break out with a guitar to help us sing “Happy ReBirthday” as seen in the picture above 😉
Red Cross Support
In an effort to support those impacted by the severe weather in the Southeast, LaSalle Network has donated to the American Red Cross to further their relief endeavors. If interested in providing aid for victims of natural disasters, click here to donate today.
Back Office Holiday Party
We are continuing the seasonal celebrations with our annual, back-office holiday party! It was great getting our support groups together for some festive fun.
Flexibility
In today’s world, things are ever-changing, which is why our leadership team offers flexibility in the way we work. Especially with the upcoming holidays, we implemented several company-wide remote work weeks towards around the holidays for LaSallians to spend extra time with loved ones and stay safe.
Holiday Party
After celebrating virtually last year, it was great to entertain clients at our annual holiday party! Filled with hot drinks and great conversation, it was a blast getting to connect with everyone and celebrate the achievements of the past year. We had some surprise guests stop by including a fire breather and carolers! (Note: In an effort to celebrate safely, all guests had to show proof of vaccination upon entry)
Lurie Children’s Hospital Radiothon
LaSallians woke up early to hit the phones and help support a great cause by volunteering for the annual Lurie Children’s Hospital Radioathon! This is just one of the wonderful causes we’re able to support as a team.
Thanksliving
We believe gratitude is an essential part of everyday life and a key element of our culture, which is why we celebrate ThanksLIVING every year as a team. After missing last year’s celebration due to COVID, LaSallians returned to our annual celebration at Manny’s Deli to share a meal and reminisce on all we have to be thankful for. It’s a tradition our CEO started so that LaSallians who can’t travel home for the holidays, or maybe don’t have families to join for dinner, have the opportunity to enjoy a great holiday meal with friends.
Virtual Thanksliving
Because we have LaSallians all around the country, we celebrated Thanksliving not only in-person at Manny’s Deli, but virtually, as well! Everyone was welcome to attend a Zoom celebration where we recognized the many things we’re grateful for.
Baby Showers
We had so much fun showering our soon-to-be parents with love and gifts! Kevin, our Vice President of Recruiting, and his wife, Amanda, are expecting their first baby, and Lauren, our Vice President of Sales, and her husband, Dan, are welcoming their second!
Gratitude Practice
We’re getting into the holiday spirit by sharing what we are grateful for this year! During an all-company meeting, each person held up a piece of paper with what they are grateful for written on it.
Halloween Costume Contest
We hosted our annual LaSalloween costume contest and after having to do it remote last year, it was great to see the creative costumes in-office! Each year, teams and individuals come up with the most creative costumes and compete to see who gets the highest number of votes. See all our boo-tiful costumes here!
Pumpkin Decorating
Our talented team got to show off their artistic abilities and got into the spooky spirit by decorating pumpkins.
Team-Building Adventures
What better way to team bond than walk through one of the scariest haunted houses in the country!?
Updated October 15, 2021
LaSallian Spotlight
Each week, during a company-wide virtual meeting, we spotlight a different LaSallian to help foster community and help employees get to know one another. This includes sharing a few professional accomplishments and fun-facts, as well as learns they’ve experienced so far in their role.
Virtual Mixology
We hosted a virtual mixology lesson with fall-themed cocktails led by our very own LaSallian – Lisa Mosher! LaSallians could follow along, or save these recipes to make with friends. Click here to get the recipes.
Champagne Tasting
We hosted a tasting at each of our offices that featured sparkling wines from the U.S., Italy, France and Spain! (And the Cava seemed to be the crowd favorite!)
Q4 Kickoff
We kicked off the quarter with a virtual, all company meeting to share updates on goals, what lies ahead, team accomplishments, and celebrated new award winners and promotions! Click here to read more about the LaSallians who earned their new titles.
Kick-Off, Instagram Takeover
Throughout the day of our Q4 Kick Off, our very own 2021 “LaSallian of the Year,” Rachel Holmes, took over the LaSalle Network Instagram account to share sneak peeks of the day. From sharing how she and her coworkers fueled up on caffeine pre-kick off, to helping celebrate our award winners, she gave our followers a behind-the-scenes look of what Kick Off is all about!
Wedding Shower
We celebrated the upcoming nuptials of Elise De Bie and her fiancé, Jacob, in-person where LaSallians joined to toast the happy couple and shower them with congratulations.
Updated October 1, 2021
Fall Fest
To help celebrate the change in season, we hosted our second-annual Fall Fest where we catered in fall drinks and snacks, and a chance for LaSallians to try some weird-tasting fall-theme selzters, sip cider and meet some new faces! This was the first of several fall-themed company-wide activities we have planned for this month. Tune in next week for more.
LaSalle-Themed Trivia
As another culture-building activity, LaSallians tested their knowledge via virtual trivia on topics like LaSalle lingo, fun facts about our leadership team, and prior events and traditions, allowing new LaSallians to hear stories of years past and learn more about the LaSalle traditions and community.
Unveiling of Charities Supported
Each year in honor of our anniversary, LaSalle Network donates to and coordinates volunteer opportunities with charities nominated by LaSallians. The selected charities are revealed during our CEO’s annual toast that kicks off the evening LaSallemas party.
23rd Annual LaSallemas Celebration
To close out the week, LaSallians celebrated at Shore Club for a night of food, dancing, and plenty of surprises like bagpipers, firebreathers, live musicians a beach Santa, and more! It was the perfect night to cap off a week of celebrations for our 23rd year in business.
Annual Awards
A tradition at our LaSallemas party includes the reveal of which LaSallian takes home our biggest awards. Read our blog to find out who won each title: https://bit.ly/3jbMdWV
Wedding Shower
We have finally returned to an in-person tradition we have been working hard to maintain virtually for the last 18+ months – celebrating the soon-to-be marriages of LaSallians! During this wedding shower we were able to toast the couples safely in person and celebrate their upcoming nuptials.
LaSallemas Office Decorations
Per tradition, LaSallians were surprised the Monday of LaSallemas week with all offices decked out in colorful decorations, photos from the year covering the walls, and plenty of streamers and balloons coating the floors. It is a tradition our CEO started when he founded the company and had few to no employees. He found decorations he could manage to hang alone and come in the middle of the night to decorate employees’ desks for their work anniversaries. The tradition now lives on 23 years and counting.
Employee Surprises
Each day throughout LaSallemas week, LaSallians are surprised with a new trinket that helps get them prepared for the main festivities that cap off the week on Friday – from leis to beach balls and more! Are they random? Yes, but they make LaSallians smile and laugh, and that’s the goal! Living in a hybrid world, we ensured virtual LaSallians also had packages with all the fun gifts delivered to their homes so they can celebrate from afar.
Tom’s ReBirthday Toast
August 17 marks the day our fearless leader, Tom Gimbel, founded the company 23 years ago! Tom gave a speech commemorating this day, broadcasted via Zoom to remote employees and those in other offices, and shared advice and memories with LaSallians.
Daily Competitions:
Another LaSallemas-week tradition is hosting daily competitions for all LaSallians to participate in from each office. As we have transitioned into a hybrid world, we’ve hosted them both in-office and virtually. With our highly competitive team, “venue” doesn’t matter – just winning the game!
Virtual LaSalle-Themed Charades
Via Zoom breakout rooms we gathered to play LaSalle-themed charades. This included common LaSallian lingo and hints towards this year’s party theme.
Book Race Competition
Next up, we had an office-wide relay race with teams speed walking throughout the office while balancing a book on their heads. Easier said than done!
Taco Truck Lunch
With LaSalle’s actual anniversary landing on a Tuesday, what better way to celebrate than with a ‘Taco Tuesday!’ 😊 Food trucks with a surprise taco lunch arrived at our offices with a mouth-watering menu of tacos and sides.
Caption Contest
Back by popular demand from last year, we had a virtual competition for who could come up with the best caption for some throwback pictures. In the Zoom chat, LaSallians poured captions into the chat, with our caption judge having the hard job of just picking one!
Virtual Talent Show
We have a talented bunch! LaSallians showed off their skills in our second-annual, virtual talent show. From LaSalle-themed original songs, to guitar playing, to comedic routines, we loved showcasing LaSallians’ unique abilities.
Moms of LaSalle Outing
In an effort to keep supporting and celebrating our working parents, LaSalle hosted a moms lunch where LaSallian moms got together to swap stories and share their secrets to making it all work – exceptionally well, may we add!
Intern Roundtable
Current LaSallians who started at LaSalle as interns hosted a roundtable for LaSalle’s summer interns sharing all the secrets to career success post-internship!
National Intern Day Celebration
During our company-wide meeting, we recognized the hard work of our summer interns with surprise Zoom backgrounds, giving them a special shoutout for their hard work and contributions.
New Hire Wall
We hired more than 150 new LaSallians since our time working from home. To help make them feel at home in the office we created a new hire wall of headshots and names so tenured LaSallians get to know their faces quickly.
Welcome Back Banners
LaSallians love to celebrate big events, and we typically commemorate special days with balloons and décor around the office. For their first day back in the office, LaSallians were welcomed back with banners and balloons at all entrances and music playing.
Office Re-Entry Playbooks
To help ease uncertainty and remind LaSallians of office policies, we created ‘Return to Office Playbooks,’ which were ready on each LaSallians’ desk – and differed based on the office they work out of. These handbooks include outlines of office and building policies, IT information to know, places to eat nearby, among other facts to keep one another safe and healthy.
Mental Health Support Groups
As a part of our mental health initiative, LaSalle Network created ‘Brain Health and Wellness’ support groups led by licensed therapists to help ease anxieties and support LaSallians through any struggles they are facing.
Green Groups & Briefcase Advisors
To help our newest LaSallians feel connected and supported, we created a program specifically for those who joined less than 18 months ago. They are formed into ‘Green Groups’ led by tenured LaSallians (aka our Briefcase Advisors) and meet frequently to discuss all things that will help them hit the ground running sooner and feel a sense of connection.
Recruiting Leaders Retreat
Our recruiting leaders had a two-day leadership retreat to reconnect, learn and discuss leadership strategies that will help LaSalle continue to achieve our goals. Continued training and development have always been priorities at LaSalle and are a key part of how we grow as a team.
New Hire Happy Hours
After 16 months of working from home, we have hired many new LaSallians (70 just this year so far!), and many have not yet worked from our offices. Before our official office re-entry, we hosted happy hours in each office for those hired since working from home as a chance for them to get comfortable in the space, set up their desks, tour the building and mingle with our managers and executive team.
Veteran Resource Week
We’re honoring Veterans by helping them the best way we know how: employment. Philanthropy and the ability to give back to our community in different ways is a pillar of our culture, and LaSalle Veteran Network offers the opportunity for LaSallians to do just that. Veteran Resource Week offers the opportunity for Veterans and MilSpouses to review their experience with LaSalle's trained military career coach, and discuss resume writing advice, interview tips and open opportunities. Register today!
Virtual Wedding Shower
To help celebrate Megan, our bride to be, we hosted a virtual wedding shower where LaSallians got to meet her fiancé as they dished out all the deets for their upcoming nuptials – while playing guess that love song!
Q3 Kick Off
At our company wide, Q3 Kick Off meeting, we recapped the first half of 2021, celebrating a huge team accomplishment hitting the highest quarterly revenue in company history for the third quarter in a row. We also celebrated a long list of LaSallians who received surprise promotions and award titles for their efforts over the last 3 months!
Summer Internship Program
We welcomed our newest group of summer interns who have already made an impact, from sales to recruiting to back-office support. These interns will gain experience as they work alongside LaSallians and leadership to learn the ropes of the professional world. With a focus on growth and development as one of LaSalle’s top values, we’re excited to give new opportunities to these students.
4th of July Cookbook
To help celebrate the July 4th holiday, we compiled recipes from some of LaSalle’s top foodies, ranging from fruit skewers to dips to no-bake cheesecake desserts. Check out the cookbook here!
Mother’s Day Zoom Backgrounds
In our company-wide townhall, we surprised the LaSallian moms with custom Mother’s Day zoom backgrounds. We are so thankful for the many working moms who work hard to support their families and their teams every day.
Speed Networking
What better way to get new hires acquainted with tenured LaSallians than a round of virtual speed-networking? While in the office, new hires would have many LaSallians stopping by their desk for introductions, so we tried to recreate the experience virtually. New hires were paired at random with various tenured LaSallians in Zoom breakout rooms for 7 minutes to talk, laugh, and get to know one another, rotating after time was up.
Virtual Baby Shower
We celebrated not one, but two dads-to-be with a virtual baby shower! While the babies have not quite made their debuts, it was great to celebrate the soon-to-be-parents and play a game of baby Pictionary! To no surprise, it got pretty competitive :)
Administrative Professional Day Surprise
What would we do without incredible administrative professionals to help keep us streamlined and operating efficiently? We celebrated Administrative Professional’s Day with surprise Zoom backgrounds on a company-wide meeting and a team-wide lunch with our C-suite and Vice Presidents.
Bring Your Kid to Work Day
Bring Your Kid to Work Day looks a little different from our home offices, but these LaSallian parents have been doing a great job of integrating their family and work life over these last 14 months! A few junior LaSallians popped into a few team meetings to share their two cents and celebrate the day.
Wedding Shower
We celebrated another LaSallian bride-to-be with a virtual wedding shower complete with some fun bridal shower games and cameos from her fiancé and pup!
Virtual Sip & See
We celebrated our newest dad with a virtual Sip & See where LaSallians (& baby LaSallians) got to meet the newest addition to the family. Congratulations to the parents!
LaSalle Spring Break
LaSallians have been going 100MPH to help the Briefcase achieve historic revenue growth, and our CEO is rewarding everyone with a Spring Break! 
LaSallians are receiving two extra days of PTO throughout April for some much-deserved R&R.
LaSallians are receiving two extra days of PTO throughout April for some much-deserved R&R.
LaSalle Network Yearbook
To help celebrate one year of working virtually and remember all that’s happened, we created a company yearbook full of team pictures, events from the year, celebrations, awards, and messages from managers and team members.
Coronaversary
On March 15, we had a happy hour to commemorate all that has happened since we moved to a virtual world. We shared videos and executives gave speeches and toasts to recognize the strides made, like celebrating no layoffs and growing our company to achieve historic growth, together as one team. Cheers to that!
March Madness Bracket Challenge
This year would have marked our 12th annual March Madness party at our headquarters, where we put the March Madness games up on the screens, cater in food and kegs, and invite clients to our offices for an open house. In lieu of the party this year, we’re hosting a bracket challenge for clients and employees to remain competitive and celebrate the tournament!
March Madness-Themed Townhall
LaSallians represented their favorite teams for our weekly, company-wide Townhall in support of their favorite picks for March Madness! A long-standing tradition here at LaSalle, we embrace the spirit of competition and show support for our favorite schools.
Virtual Vacation
Can’t travel overseas? No problem! LaSallians virtually traveled the world to some of the most exclusive spots 😉
2021 Kick Off
We kicked off the New Year with a virtual all-company meeting to reflect on 2020, celebrate team and individual successes, and look ahead at what’s to come in 2021. We also recognized a group of LaSallians who stepped up to GSD and support the Briefcase in a year unlike any other with grit and determination, earning themselves promotions and some of LaSalle’s most sought-after accolades.
Team & Individual Goal Setting
As the saying goes, “It’s only a dream until it’s written down...then it’s a goal.” While we have company and team goals, LaSallians put pen to paper to outline what they want to achieve – personally and professionally – in the year ahead. To hold one another accountable to achieving these goals, LaSallians shared their aspirations with their manager and a member of HR to revisit throughout the year.
Back-Office Party
Teamwork makes the dream work and that couldn’t be truer for our back-office teams! All of LaSalle’s back-office teams gathered for a virtual celebration to cheers one another and kick off 2021 LaSalle-style: together and laughing. Leaders across the organization joined to give special shoutouts for each team’s support and contributions to LaSalle’s successes in 2020. Playing some trivia via Kahoot!, we learned some VERY interesting facts about our fellow LaSallians while sipping cocktails made from recipes sent out prior to the festivities.
Staff Gift Pick Up
Our CEO gifted LaSallians Patagonia and Northface vests as an added thank you for our work this last year. Setting up safe curbside pick-up locations, LaSallians safely gathered and enjoyed warm drinks and treats from the traveling Cookies w/Flavor food truck.
Walking Challenge
Some LaSallians have teamed up for a step challenge to beat the winter blues: The challenge: whoever first reaches 125 miles in a month wins! Our furry friends will either be VERY excited or exhausted as a result 😊
Updated December 22nd, 2020
Virtual Holiday Party
While we may not have closed down the House of Blues for our annual holiday party this year, we still brought together over 500 LaSallians, clients, family and friends for a night of comedy via Zoom. Hosted by Pat Tomasulo of WGN Morning News, we had special musical guests and local comedians perform for an hour of holiday fun. Event attendees raised $8,000 in donations for Lurie's Children’s Hospital, which was matched by our CEO, Tom Gimbel, for a total of $16,000.
10 Days of Giving Recap
Over the last two weeks, LaSalle Network employees participated in the first-ever 10 Days of Giving where we partnered with causes near and dear to our hearts, volunteering nearly 1,000 hours both in-person and virtually. From packing more than 1,500 food boxes for families in need, to wrapping 300+ presents for underprivileged children, to helping adults with disabilities with job-search coaching, to caroling at residences for adults with special needs, we were able to safely give back to our community when it was needed most. We unpacked all 10 days and lend ideas for ways you and your teams can give back in the year ahead in our recap blog here: https://bit.ly/3mJFpzP
Team Holiday Parties
While in the office, teams would traditionally get together to celebrate the holidays and toast to the New Year. Many teams kept the tradition alive virtually this year with their own Zoom parties and happy hours. Our teams got creative, doing virtual white elephant gift exchanges, murder mystery parties, and ugly sweater competitions!
Extra Day Off
Rather than work our traditional half-day before the holidays, Our CEO decided to give LaSallians a little extra time off to relax and be with family this year. After what was a challenging year for many, a few extra hours to savor the holidays is just what we needed!
Winterns’ 6 Week Sprint
LaSalle welcomed a small army of 17 virtual interns last week, dedicating their winter breaks to learn new skills and advance their career! Spread across various teams like research, recruiting and marketing, these interns are going the extra mile to add vital experience to their resume.
Holiday Townhall
We added a little Christmas cheer into our weekly Townhall! LaSallians showed their holiday spirit with Christmas sweaters, hats, and festive virtual backgrounds.
10 Days of Giving
LaSalle is kicking off the holiday season with 10 Days of Giving! With virtual and outdoor, socially distanced volunteer opportunities, LaSallians, friends and family are volunteering for more than 11 causes in the first two weeks of December. Stay tuned next week to learn more about which causes we’re supporting and how!
LaSalle Veteran Network
LaSalle Network is proud to announce its commitment to helping more than 1,000 veterans land employment in the next year through its newest program, the LaSalle Veteran Network. To learn more, click here.
Thanksliving Virtual Cooking Class
In any other year, we’d be having our 4th annual Thanksliving dinner at Manny’s Deli where we’d get together over good food and good company. This year, we put a twist on our tradition to enjoy tasty meals together virtually. Chef Carol, former Capitol Grill chef, hosted a cooking demo on a few of her favorite Thanksgiving side dishes including a cauliflower casserole and apple praline cobbler...we’re drooling!
Canned Food Drive
LaSallians broke out into teams for a friendly competition, raising money for a canned food drive! Teams had two days to gather donations and team leaders used the funds raised to shop for nonperishables, donating 5,061 items to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and $2,200 to Feeding America. As a whole, LaSallians helped to feed almost 80,000 people!
Super Market Sweep
After gathering donations, team leaders brought the whole company along virtually as they shopped for nonperishables during our weekly all-company meeting.
Halloween Contest Winners
The people have spoken! LaSallians, friends, family and followers tuned into our virtual Halloween costume contest and who took first place? The “cast” of Schitt’s Creek! Click here to see the rest of these creative costumes.
Award Winners and Promotions
We celebrated those who went above and beyond in the third quarter, producing great results and growing in their role. Check out which LaSallians earned promotions and titles to some of our most sought-after awards here!
Virtual Bridal Shower:
We celebrated LaSallian bride-to-be Jenna Spathis with a virtual wedding shower for her and fiancé, Max. The shower was complete with games and a special champagne and treat delivery!
In-Person Management Meeting:
LaSalle Network’s management team safely came together to brainstorm, strategize, and focus on closing out the year strong! Thanks to our very own LaSallian, Jason Siegel, for hosting us on his family’s farm and pumpkin patch, Cottonwood Farm!
Fall Fest:
While we have been dedicated to maintaining our culture virtually, LaSallians came together in person for the first time since quarantine for a socially distant Fall Fest. It was not only great seeing one another in person again, but also great to meet the many new puppies and babies of LaSalle!
Halloween Costume Contest:
While in the office, LaSallians get into the Halloween spirit with our annual costume contest and being remote won’t stop us from continuing this tradition! After dressing up for a company-wide town hall, our Facebook followers will decide which individual and which team had the best costume. Cast your vote on October 30!
Canned Food Drive:
As a part of our annual Thanksgiving charitable drive, we have set up boxes at each office for LaSallians to drop off canned goods to donate. In November, teams of LaSallians will then volunteer to package up and deliver the goods to families in need around the Chicagoland area.
Q4 Kick Off:
To kick off Q4, we hosted a virtual all company meeting to recap the last 90 days, share goals, and discuss what’s to come in the months ahead. With so many LaSallians going above and beyond to help grow the business, we also celebrated exciting awards and promotions.
Instagram Takeover:
Our very own LaSallian of the Year, Katie Knotts, took over our Instagram for our virtual Q4 Kick Off! We tuned in to watch her cranberry juice challenge (bike edition), see her WFH outfit, and celebrate virtually with all award winners.
LaSalle Themed Song:
What says ‘I bleed green’ better than a personalized, LaSalle theme song? Our song was played for the first time during our virtual Q4 Kick Off and every Thursday since to celebrate ReBirthdays (aka LaSallian work anniversaries). You can make your own song on SongFinch.com.
Team Meet Up at the Park:
For the first time in months, one of our teams all gathered at a park for some social distanced bonding time. We got a mini lesson on jewelry making and put our lessons to work – some turning out better than others :)
Time Off to Campaign:
LaSalle offers every employee paid time off to campaign for a political cause or candidate of their choice. While some in-person campaigning may be limited, click here to read more about how you can get involved.
Interviewing LaSallians:
Contrary to popular belief, working remotely can make it easier to get to know colleagues, especially coworkers who once worked in a different office or on a different team. During our company-wide townhalls, our CEO picks out three LaSallians of varying tenure and teams to interview. Simple conversation starters like where did you grow up, what is something you enjoyed working on this year, and what’s your favorite sports team allows all 200+ LaSallians on the call to get to know them better. Virtual Poster Board:
While in the office, teams would make posters or cards when celebrating special events like ReBirthdays, and include favorite memories. To keep this tradition alive virtually, LaSallians are using Kudo Board to submit photos and notes for a special occasion.
Sharing Inspirational Videos:
As a company, we watched a short video by Simon Sinek discussing the challenges millennials in the workforce are faced with today, and how it has impacted their career success and networking abilities. The video shared highly relevant advice and tips on how to build resilience and how to form better relationships with coworkers. Click here to watch.
LaSallemas 2020:
August 17, 2020 marks our 22nd year in business! Each year we have a week of celebrations leading up to this special day that we call “LaSallemas” (aka our company’s anniversary), typically filled with surprises, games, performances and happy hours. This year, we had to improvise and recreated the celebrations virtually. We hosted daily virtual competitions hosted by varying LaSallians across all 5 of our offices.
Eye Spy:
I spy with my LaSallian eye...someone with a Santa hat on! The first 5 people to scroll through their Zoom screens to find the hidden LaSallian were the winners.
Never Have I Ever:
We broke out into Zoom Rooms to play a LaSalle-themed “Never Have I Ever” game. Have you ever...won an award? Met your spouse or best friend at LaSalle? The first person with all ten fingers down definitely bleeds green!
Caption This:
We dove into the archives to find classic photos from the last 22 years. LaSallians submitted their most creative captions, with secret judges voting on whose was best.
Scavenger Hunt:
We hosted an at-home scavenger hunt via Zoom. LaSallians sought out different items from around their homes like LaSalle t-shirts, something sticky and something that smells. The first one back to the computer with these items was the winner!
Team Videos:
We believe that laughing together makes teams stronger! Each team within LaSalle created funny videos to share with the company, from parodies of popular TV shows to reenacting popular TikTok videos with a LaSalle spin. Home Deliveries:
A champagne toast is a LaSalle tradition to celebrate the anniversary of our inception, and this year, our c-suite traveled to each LaSallian to deliver the supplies for a successful virtual cheers that evening. Talent Show:
We’re a talented bunch! Keeping with LaSallemas tradition, we hosted a talent show via Zoom. Some highlights included an acapella ‘Kokomo,’ stand-up comedy, and song parodies. Memories Shared:
Each day in August leading up to LaSallemas, our longest-tenured employees shared their favorite LaSalle memories, from the first day LaSalle opened in a cramped office with a small-but-mighty team, to incentive trips and LaSallemases past. Not only were the stories emotional and hysterically funny, it was a great way for newer LaSallians to learn more about the stories and people who have molded and shaped LaSalle to be the company it is today.
Day of Giving
This year we decided to make LaSalle’s anniversary a day to give back to our community. Every LaSallian was given time off on August 17th to serve either in person (safely!) or virtually, based on their own preference and comfort levels. With 200 sets of hands-on-deck, we contributed 1,000 hours of community service to benefit charities such as Pitch in for the Parks, Center for Enriched Living, Aspire, Kenneth Young Center, Special Olympics and Cristo Rey.
BBQ
As Chicago begins to reopen, we are finding ways to safely see one another. This week, our leadership team hosted a drive-in cookout for LaSallians to grab lunch and catch up with coworkers...6-ft. apart, of course! Virtual ReBirthdays
On everyone’s work anniversary, which we call ReBirthdays, the company gets together to celebrate the employee’s hard work over the last 365 days with in-office celebrations that include speeches, decorations, and catered in snacks. While we work remotely, some families have taken the tradition on themselves! Pictionary
One of our teams spiced up a virtual happy hour with a game of Pictionary! You can do so by utilizing the ‘white board’ function on Zoom or with an app called HouseParty. Could you guess this is a pinata? Diversity & Inclusion Discussion
LaSalle is built on a caring and compassionate culture where we are encouraged to speak openly and embrace difficult conversations. In a companywide Townhall, our CEO Tom Gimbel and CHRO Sirmara Campbell addressed questions submitted by LaSallians regarding the social unrest in our country. Sharing ‘Wins’
While working remotely, it is even more important to share successes and celebrate one another’s hard work. A few of our teams here at LaSalle have started a daily email chain sharing successes with one another. Another team starts their weekly meetings by each sharing something non-work related that they are excited about or looking forward to. Buzzfeed Quizzes
Have you ever wondered what Friends character your boss is? One of our teams started their weekly meeting with a Buzzfeed quiz to find out! Virtual House Party
One close-knit team found a way to enjoy one another’s company virtually through the HouseParty app. This app allows the team to video chat and play games like Heads Up, Trivia or Pictionary. Poker Night
LaSalle's company trip to Vegas may have gotten canceled, but we're bringing the poker table to the dining room with a virtual game night. Country Western Night
While we can't visit our favorite bars and restaurants right now, we brought the ambiance of a LaSalle favorite, Bub City, to a virtual happy hour! Share your Station
After 12 weeks of working from home, we shared photos of different, creative workstations LaSallians have set up for themselves. By moving off the couch and away from the kitchen table, we’re getting a much-needed change of scenery. Summer Bucket List for Kids
LaSallian parents swapped ideas with one another for keeping their kids entertained and enjoying their summer. Balloon tennis or outdoor camping, anyone? View the full list here! Orange Theory Class
Finding ways to get active as a team has been one of LaSalle's favorite culture-building activities. Back by popular demand, Jayme and John Schrieffer led an Orange Theory HIIT workout via Zoom.One-on-One Walks
Checking in with one another face-to-face while remaining safe has been one important way managers are staying connected with their team. Some managers who live nearby team members have switched their one-on-ones to socially distanced walks.Wellness Wednesday
One of our teams has implemented a 'Wellness Wednesday' challenge to each reach out to different coworkers each week to remain connected. This week, the team tried something different by swapping recipients of their reach outs in order to connect with new people they may not have originally known well.How Well Do You Know your Vice Presidents?
LaSallians tuned in for a virtual happy hour and game night to see who knows their vice presidents best. VPs shared fun facts about themselves and we guessed whose surprising fact was whose. One of our VP's started their professional career shucking corn...do you know which one? Next week, we're playing how well do you know your Executives!Positive Affirmations:
Encouraging another person is often beneficial for your own mental heath, as well! After a Zoom meeting, LaSallians each sent an encouraging note to the person whose face was on the screen below them. This was a fun way to reconnect with coworkers and provided an uplifting message to relieve stress.Pay it Forward:
Encouraging another person is often beneficial for your own mental heath, as well! After a Zoom meeting, LaSallians each sent an encouraging note to the person whose face was on the screen below them. This was a fun way to reconnect with coworkers and provided an uplifting message to relieve stress.Virtual Onboarding Happy Hour:
Onboarding remotely can be tough, but we've found ways to get our new hires involved in our company culture right off the bat! We celebrated our newest LaSallian, Christian Canas, with a virtual happy hour.Book Club:
Working from home couldn't keep our book club from meeting! LaBookClub met virtually to discuss 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz.'Virtual Baby Shower
We celebrated our LaSallian moms-to-be with a virtual tea party. While we typically would have thrown them a baby shower in the office, we were still able to play games and "shower" them with our support via Zoom.Charity Events
While in-person events have been put on hold, LaSalle is accepting the #moveforthekids challenge from afar! May 15 - 17 Lurie Children's Hospital is hosting a virtual workout challenge with live classes, an independent 5k run and a toast to our healthcare heroes. To join in and support the cause, visit Move for the Kids here.
Mental Health Resources
May is Mental Health Awareness month, and we're sharing our favorite ways to reduce stress and anxiety. By sharing resources and mental health tips, LaSallians are supporting one another from afar. Some LaSalle favorites: getting outside, being active, learning a new skill and relaxing with a face mask.Peloton Challenge
We have more than a few competitive LaSallians in our midst, and what better way to get active than by starting a friendly competition? Those in the office with a Peloton bike have kept each other accountable for getting their exercise in by starting a monthly cycling challenge.Start a Meeting with a Stretch
We brought energy back to a gloomy morning by starting our company wide Zoom call with a group stretchMixology Class:
We hosted a virtual cocktail making class straight from the kitchen of one of LaSalle’s favorite mixologists, Lisa Mosher! The menu included margaritas, mojitos and her signature Sunset Martini. Cheers! Cooking Class:
LaSalle’s resident “chef” Claire Challenger gave us a virtual cooking class for lunch on Tuesday. On the menu was chicken tacos with her signature garlic-herb crema. Team bonding:
Teams hosted trivia game nights or guessing whose baby picture is whose. Others have used Microsoft Teams polls throughout the day for fun “Would You Rather” or “Who’s Most Likely to...” questions. Some popular polls included “Would you rather give up pizza or ice cream?” and “Who on this team would be most likely to get a face tattoo?” Dance Class:
We broke a sweat while breaking it down in a virtual hip-hop dance class! Thanks to the LaSallian with the smoothest moves, Jess Rico, for teaching us a few of her signature steps. Mother’s Day Celebration:
CEO Tom Gimbel typically sends a letter in the mail to thank the mothers of LaSallians on Mother’s Day, but this year he did so over Zoom. We hosted a virtual Mother’s Day Zoom call for employees and their moms to say thank you for their guidance and support during this challenging time. Daily Town Hall Meetings:
We have a standing company-wide Town Hall meeting every morning, where all employees, we call ourselves LaSallians, log on via Zoom (a video meeting for those who aren't familiar with Zoom). All employees are asked to join via video not just audio so we really feel a sense of connection seeing one another face to face. The Town Hall is led by our CEO, Tom Gimbel. He shares pertinent information and updates, and gives employees an opportunity to ask questions. Tom talks about these town halls with Inc. Magazine here. Morning Stand Ups & Wraps:
At the start of each workday, each team meets for a Stand Up, they use Zoom to see one another via video, and discuss each person's priorities for the day, and any roadblocks they're facing. This updates the rest of the team on what each person is working on. It not only encourages collaboration and can streamline projects, it also gives the team a sense of who needs help. At the end of the day, the crew gets together again for a Wrap via Zoom video, and shares what they achieved. Stand up and wraps help keep everyone accountable to one another.
Virtual Happy Hours:
While in office, we typically host several celebrations weekly for employee’s work anniversaries or accomplishments. We have kept this tradition going by joining one another virtually, beverage of choice in hand.
Theme Days:
This week was going to be our 11th annual March Madness party, where we host clients and contacts at our headquarters to watch basketball, have hotdogs and nachos, and eat endless chili from our chili cook off contest. Since this year both the NCAA tournament, and our party was canceled, we’re keeping the spirit alive by each repping our teams from afar. Theme days like these give people something to look forward to and definitely encourages a little trash talking... :) 
Hats off to our fifth week of working from home! We're keeping Town Hall interesting with theme days.
While Wrigley Field may be closed, we’re still celebrating. We surprised CEO Tom Gimbel for his birthday by all sporting his favorite team: The Cubs!
Virtual Lunches:
For those of us missing our group Chipotle runs, a video call lunch has been a unique alternative. Some LaSallians have posted their lunch times on our all company Microsoft Teams chat to include whomever wants to join!
Communication Channels:
Communication is key while working at a distance, especially across multiple teams, states and time zones as many people ventured back to their hometowns to be with family. Besides our daily Zoom video meetings, we have incorporated our company-wide Microsoft Teams chat to share pertinent information and a channel specifically for "Work from home" to share tips on working from home successfully. This doesn't only include work talk or current events...we also have a Teams channels featuring the dogs of LaSalle and the cats of LaSalle.
Sunrise Yoga:
We started Work From Home Week Two with a virtual sunrise yoga class, led by our very own, instructor certified LaSallian, Kristin Dozier! Greeting the new week refreshed and re-energized was the perfect start to a Monday morning and reinforced the importance of a morning routine.
Ice Cream Social:
LaSallians love their treats! While we haven't been able to celebrate in the office with our regular snack days commemorating a ReBirthday or holiday, on Tuesday night LaSallians tuned into a group Zoom with their favorite treats in hand. Ranging from Chicago's favorite ice cream, Jenni's, to Ben & Jerry's, dairy-free, and plant based treats, we snacked together and shared stories. Casual connection like this keeps the LaSalle culture and camaraderie alive!
Virtual Piano Bar
We had our bi-weekly virtual happy hour with a twist on Thursday night, featuring a musically talented friend of LaSalle, Jim Schiffer, performing our favorite songs. LaSallians gathered their cooped ups kids, spouses, roommates and pets to join in the fun and dance and sing along. The crowd favorite? Billy Joel's Piano Man, of course!
Celebrating our Interns:
We have been blessed with a small but mighty crew of college interns from various colleges. When our office decided to go remote, all of them chose to stay on with us and continue their work from home, as well. With school closures and graduations postponed for the time being, we hopped on a video call to celebrate them virtually.
Trivia Night:
Week three of quarantine has us WIGGING out! We have a few trivia fiends here at LaSalle, so what better way to celebrate the start of April than a LaSalle themed virtual trivia night? Throw in a few costumes and your beverage of choice for the perfect mid-week morale boost.
Virtual Surprise Bachelorette:
While some major life events have had to be put on hold due to quarantine, LaSallians can’t let anyone get away with NOT celebrating. Our marketing team was able to host a surprise Zoom bachelorette party to cheers our bride-to-be; champagne, sashes and all.Chalk the Walk:
A few LaSallians living in nearby neighborhoods left notes in sidewalk chalk outside the homes of coworkers. Bonus tip? Bring your kids along to leave a picture, as well!Bingo:
We hosted a virtual Bingo night featuring quarantine themed squares. How many have you completed?
Pen Pals:
We teamed up with several nearby nursing homes to forge new friendships and start a pen pal program. While seniors are isolated in their rooms, we found a way to spread joy with notes, crossword puzzles and a few crayon drawings from our LaSallians in Training.
Dance Party:
How do you start your days while working from home? To keep our energy up, we're sharing a pump up song of the day. It's surprising what a few shoulder shimmies can do to start the day off right.
Messages:
This week LaSallians each came to Town Hall with a message written to hold up to the camera and read as a group. Ranging from humor to heart felt, this was the perfect way to check in and take pulse of how the group was feeling.
Virtual Training:
Training doesn’t stop just because we’re working remotely! LaSallians tuned in to virtual trainings this week to continue to sharpen our skills while working from home.
HIIT Class:
A team that is active together is stronger together! Personal trainer and friend of LaSalle, John Schrieffer, hosted a virtual Orange Theory style HIIT workout.
Would You Rather? Virtual Game Night:
Would you rather work from home in your BATHTUB or OUTSIDE (rain or shine!)? We hosted a quarantine themed Would You Rather game night and happy hour.
Administrative Professionals’ Day:
Administrative Professionals' Day was April 22. We surprised our amazing administrative team with thank you notes, virtual zoom backgrounds and a big round of applause at our daily town hall.Step Challenge:
One of our teams started a friendly competition to see who can get the most steps in per day. Whether that means a quick jog outside or pacing around the living room, we’re staying active and holding one another accountable.ReBirthday Celebrations:
Each year on the anniversary of an employee’s start date, we celebrate their “ReBirthday” with snacks, decorations and a night out. While quarantined, teams have still found ways to make their celebrations special. LaSallian Jim Halpin was celebrated with a surprise Zoom happy hour and a $1000 donation to Misericorida, a local community of care that maximizes potential for persons with mild to profound developmental disabilities. Supporting Local Businesses:
From hole-in-the-wall pizza places, to local breweries and even a neighborhood animal shelter, LaSallians showed their support of their favorite local businesses by shopping small this weekend. Superhero Day:
April 29th was national superhero day and we celebrated our favorite first responder superheroes and friends of LaSalle. Thank you to all on the front line! Spa Night:
What’s better than a virtual happy hour? How about a virtual happy hour...in your bathrobe? We were in full support of self-care this week by hosting a virtual spa and sip night. Day Off:
After 7 long weeks of working from home, our CEO, Tom Gimbel, decided to give everyone a well-deserved day off. To keep business operations running, LaSallians are alternating the days they take off. His one condition? Everyone spends some time reading, meditating and getting refreshed for the weeks to come.
Inspiration from Other Companies:
We've been hearing from our clients about the things they are doing to keep their staff engaged. Here are some of our favorites:
- Wellness Checks: The HR team rotates through their list of employees, deciding who talks to whom each week to check in and see how each employee is doing.
- Virtual Buddy System: Some companies have paired up employees to check in or connect with one another via phone or video chat each day. Each employee has a buddy
- Wellness Inspiration: Some companies have instituted 'step challenges' to get employees moving by sharing their step count for the day and competing with their peers to reach a goal. Employees also share recipes or their favorite home workouts in an email chain or chat.
- Wellness Wednesday & Fitness Friday: Keep each other accountable & healthy.
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