In 1997, Robert LoCascio, Founder of LivePerson was so frustrated by the experience with customer service when shopping online that he decided a customer service revolution was in order. Within a few months, he launched LivePerson working out of a one room office in New York with 6 employees. Fast forward to 2022 – LivePerson now touts over 1,500 employees globally and was recently named #1 in AI by Fast Company and one of the best places to work by Newsweek. It all sounds so easy, doesn’t it? But not so fast.
In its twenty-six years of existence, LivePerson has weathered the dot-com bubble, the financial crisis and a pandemic. In each instance they knew that “hope” alone was not a strategy –instead they focused on building a resilient corporate culture that can adapt to economic headwinds. Their strategy? Deeply caring about work culture and challenging each and every employee to “Own it,” “Help Others,” “Pursue Expertise” and “Dream Big” as outlined in their core corporate values. By employing these principles along with embracing mindfulness and empathy, LivePerson strives to create a culture in which people are productive and happy. Every employee from top to bottom is encouraged to be very entrepreneurial and try to align their purpose with building something at the company which is related to their core value of “Dream Big.” As a result, LivePerson’s engineering and product teams are encouraged to turn their dreams into reality with demos showcasing new technology. On hand are extraordinary leaders such as Tim Storey, Chief Corporate Coach, LivePerson who reinforces the LivePerson mindset.
Perhaps the best example of LivePerson riding the wave are the recent struggles of the post-pandemic workplace which has completely upended many companies for the past two and a half years. “Instead of adopting a playbook for remote work which is so prevalent now, we wanted to look at the future of work,” said one of its People leaders. “At its core, that means recognizing that employees’ priorities have shifted. Although compensation and career opportunities remain important, health, well-being and family are now paramount for many. By employing the “Be the Owner” principle, each and every employee becomes an owner of these priorities, not just the top brass. Ultimately, this has led to measurable success.
How does LivePerson execute their workplace culture strategy? The entire plan, which results from the work of about 200 employee volunteers around the company, is the starting point. Everyone from senior leaders to managers to entry-level employees is included. Workshops and training follow to help team members assess both their own well-being and their accountability to its principles. To assess how the new workplace is functioning, the plan includes regular assessments, with thoughtfully chosen metrics, that will help the People team assess its success and adjust as needed.
It is no surprise that LivePerson has succeeded against the many economic headwinds of the past twenty six years. As they lead the way in innovating around the future of work, it’s likely other corporations will be keeping an eye on its moves and following suit.