MOREnet recognized for exemplary workplace practices

Technology group receives prestigious When Work Works Award

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet), a business entity of the University of Missouri System, was recently honored with a 2016 When Work Works Award for its use of effective workplace strategies to increase business and employee success.

This prestigious award, part of the national When Work Works project administered by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), recognizes employers of all sizes and types in Missouri and across the country.

“MOREnet’s workplace practices exemplify the strong leadership in place and the culture their team has created in order to be effective and productive,” said Michael Middleton, interim president of the UM System. ”This award exemplifies the great work done by MOREnet for the university and, in turn, its invaluable reach statewide.”

MOREnet’s Executive Director, John Gillispie brought the Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) concept forward in 2013 as a means of empowering all employees to achieve a more fulfilling work/life balance.

“John has led the organization into a pilot of this innovative work culture that has proven to be highly successful and which has aided in attracting skilled workers in our highly-competitive environment. During the ongoing pilot, turnover is down, productivity is up, staff morale is high and members are receiving the high quality service they have always expected from MOREnet,” said Gary Allen, chief information officer and vice president for information technology at the University of Missouri System.  “This success is proven by member satisfaction survey scores remaining high while survey markers of employee satisfaction and engagement have increased.”

The award is the result of a rigorous assessment. Worksites must first qualify by ranking in the top 20 percent of the country based on a nationally representative sample of employers. Two-thirds of the evaluation of applicants comes from an employee survey. Applicants are evaluated on six research-based ingredients of an effective workplace: opportunities for learning; a culture of trust; work/life fit; supervisor support for work success; autonomy; and satisfaction with earnings, benefits and opportunities for advancement — all factors associated with employee health, well-being and engagement.

About MOREnet
The Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet) is a member-driven consortium serving Missouri's K-12 schools, colleges and universities, public libraries, state and local government, teaching hospitals and clinics and other affiliate organizations. MOREnet, which operates as a separate business unit within the University of Missouri System, was created in 1991 to deliver secure, reliable and robust Internet connectivity to its members. Today, MOREnet has evolved from an Internet service provider to an organization deploying and supporting the technology resources its members need to be successful. MOREnet provides technical support, videoconferencing support, technical training, hosted and managed cloud services, disaster recovery services and network security. MOREnet is committed to supporting and enabling its members’ missions through the use of technology to enhance opportunities for public access, learning and research.

About When Work Works
When Work Works is a national initiative, led by the partnership of the Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), to help businesses of all sizes and types become more successful by transforming the way they view and adopt effective and flexible workplaces. When Work Works is one of the foremost providers of resources, rigorous research and best practices on workplace effectiveness and flexibility in the nation. The initiative administers the prestigious annual When Work Works Award, which recognizes exemplary employers for creating effective workplaces to increase business and employee success.

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