InfiNet Technology has intentionally created a workplace focused on culture, and their core values enable employees to thrive.
In an early 2020s study by Forbes, the majority of people noted that driving a good culture empowers people (43% of respondents). The primary drivers of that culture are management style, employee experience, and company reputation. The same study also noted that the majority of workers are looking to business owners, not management, to drive that culture.
InfiNet Vice President Chris Breci said creating that culture was a process.
“The culture took us a long time to figure out,” Breci said. “We had a lot of high performers that weren’t culture fits. In 2017, we realized there was something that needed to change. We started focusing on culture. And we have had the best team since then, and we have also had quarter-over-quarter revenue growth. We realized that culture is so important for everything.”
Cultivating that culture now starts from the hiring process.
“We figured out that we needed to hire around culture. Over the years, we have refined our hiring process to make sure that employees will fit our culture and grow with us. We created a culture interview, and we became very particular about who would join our team,” Breci said.
In the culture interview, both parties are questioned to decide if this potential hire is someone who has buy-in on the team. Anyone from a Level 1 technician to a team lead could help make the decision. The culture interview is the last step, and it could make or break their hiring decisions.
“We want to make sure when people come in, they feel comfortable, and we understand there is a ripple effect. If they feel comfortable, then that carries over into how they interact with other employees, clients, and vendors,” Breci explained.
Although it sometimes seems like yet another task, focusing on culture means financial growth. At InfiNet, this wasn’t the goal—but it happened.
“Culture was probably the most challenging thing we had to do. It wasn’t something we could just make a procedure and do. We had to live it and breathe it in every level of the company,” Breci said. “So, our core values are an example. We couldn’t just create a poster that showed our core values.”
This culture is wrapped around InfiNet’s core values: relationship builder, lifelong learner, own it, do what’s right, and passion.
Relationship Builder
InfiNet’s employees focus on building strong relationships internally and externally, which allows employees to have a deeper understanding of their peers and clients.
Lifelong Learner
Everyone at the leadership level who was succeeding has an insatiable hunger to grow, and leadership encourages all employees to consistently grow.
Own It
They want people to treat everything as though they own the company.
“Treat every problem like your mom called you and needs your help for it. We don’t run into the ‘not my job’ thing,” Breci explained.
Do What’s Right
They strive to make the right decision for the company and the client.
“If we make a mistake, we aren’t going to hide it. It’s simple but important to us,” Breci said.
Passion
InfiNet wants their employees to have a drive for their own passions because that gives them energy.
“If I’m at work and we are talking about a work task, and an employee shows me a song that they have written, it gives me energy,” Breci said. “Our whole thing we do is help people. (CEO Steve Johnson) wants everyone to succeed. It’s very important for him that we are growing as people and not just an organization,” Breci said.
To attain this culture, the company has invested in several resources. Each person in the company has a 1:1 coach and a development plan. They believe that people’s passions and their skill set should determine where they go.
“We make sure our growth plans are matched with, and are guided by, each person. They get to have a say in their growth plan,” Breci said.
One of the biggest resources is a program called InfiNet Cares. About once a quarter, the company allows employees to volunteer for a day, and that day is considered a paid work day by InfiNet. Employees are also allowed to pick their own organization that they can volunteer for on the clock every month.
In this day and age, company culture often revolves around work-life balance. At IT companies like InfiNet, that means staying on top of often intense workloads.
“Being in IT, our employees are all on-call at times of the month,” Breci said. “We make sure that our on-call hours are reasonable and are stretched out…we will also do split shifting so most of the on-call is covered by regular work times.”
The leads will make sure the employees are working through tickets, and they provide daily coaching to help them manage their workload, and help them release tickets if they are bogged down.
“We are big on staying agile with our workloads to make sure that the right people are handling the right tasks,” Breci said.
All the strategies at InfiNet help create a healthy workplace and foster retention. Finding great talent and keeping it is important to Johnson, who lives these values himself. “As owner and founder, I make sure I get 1:1 time with everyone and for them to know we truly appreciate them. Everyone wants to feel valued and part of a community that cares,” Johnson said.
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This article originally appeared in the April/May 2025 issue of B2B Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
