MULTIFAMILY HOUSING RECOGNIZES ITS ESSENTIAL WORKERS By Doug Pike
NAA’S FIRST ANNUAL APTEAMS DAY HIGHLIGHTS THE WORK OF ON-SITE TEAMS DURING THE PAN- DEMIC.
On-site teams have been on the front
lines of the apartment industry’s response to the COVID-19 crisis since Day One. For more than six months, these unsung heroes have fielded countless resident questions, implemented a continually evolving list of safety protocols and maintained operations, all at the risk of their own health and that of their families.
On Wednesday, Aug. 12, it was the
industry’s turn to shine a light on on-site teams’ tireless commitment to their work and their residents, and to celebrate their efforts in the face of unprecedented cir- cumstances. On that date, the National Apartment Association held its first APTeams Day to recognize on-site community teams for their unflappable work to keep residents safely housed during the pandemic. NAA member communities from across the country took part, decorating offices, taking team photos, providing lunch, distributing gift cards and rewards, and creating videos to highlight their on-site associates.
EXCUSE TO LET LOOSE The event was an invaluable opportunity for executives to
acknowledge this selfless service and allow their on-site team members to let loose a little, says Wendy Simpson, Vice President of Marketing for Maryland-based Edgewood and Vantage manage- ment companies. The pandemic has brought challenges the industry has never
had to face before, especially when it first hit, Simpson says. “There were a lot of unknowns and uncertainty in the first couple of weeks. Our on-site associates were feeling the emptiness of the office, and at the same time they were dealing with an unprecedented level of need and calls from residents — and they still are. “So this event was well-earned,” she adds, “and all about ap-
preciating on-site team members for the work they do every day, having fun with their colleagues, goofing off to make songs and dances, and giving our property teams a rest from all the noise to do something that felt good while on the job.” Edgewood and Vantage launched its APTeams Day festivities
the week before on social media with an invitation to on-site as- sociates to share photos or videos that illustrate ways they’ve kept their spirits up, as well as what they have learned while dealing with COVID-19. All associates who shared a photo or video, either individually
or as a team, got entered into a raffle for gift cards, AirPods or lunch, says Simpson. “All of those prizes were supplied by our preferred vendor partners,” she adds. “We took those 70 to 80 submissions and published a video dedicated to highlighting them, but the first
30 NOVEMBER 2020 8
minute and a half of the video shows all of the corporate team members sharing their appreciation for the field associates. At the end, there’s a collective message from the marketing team members, thanking our on-site teams for being so awesome.” Fogelman Properties, a Memphis, Tenn.-based multifamily
community investment and property management company, recently conducted a virtual all-property awards ceremony to recognize its on-site team members. The firm also featured some of its associ- ates in the Back to Work video series, produced by SightPlan. The 15-episode series, which was planned before the pandemic hit, showcases the extraordinary behind-the-scenes work being done by on-site multifamily community employees. “We have an incredible mission-driven team, and with the help
of the Back to Work series, we could showcase an appreciation of our team’s talent, dedication, passion and energy during this dif- ficult time,” says Fogelman Chief Operating Officer Justin Marshall. “They are heroes in a lot of respects and we are thankful to be able to celebrate them and truly shed light on the amazing work done on-site every single day.” In addition to the formal and public recognition, Fogelman has
given on-site teams the leeway to establish workplace environments that truly accommodate associates during the pandemic.
EMPHASIS ON FLEXIBILITY Recognizing the challenges Fogelman associates face in both
their personal and professional lives, says Marshall, the company has tried to be as flexible as possible to accommodate associates’ needs. “For example, our teams are able to create schedules that provide flexibility in their home lives, which could include scaling down or increasing their hours by opening the office later at night or on Sundays,” he says. “We also gave each of our associates a no-strings-attached bonus early in the pandemic as a ‘thank you’ and provided an extra 80 hours of COVID sick time in case they needed it. We recognize that this is not ‘business as usual,’ and helping our
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