2021 Mobility Champion: QGenda

For the past five years, QGenda has been working extensively to enhance its overall employee experience. From implementing Livable Buckhead’s discounted transit pass program to participating in challenges that promote walking and biking and sponsoring a park improvement project, QGenda is making an impact not only on their employees but the entire community. More recently, QGenda implemented a formal telework policy that allows employees to continue working remotely long-term.

Each year, Livable Buckhead recognizes an employer who has demonstrated success in the development and implementation of an alternative commute program that aims to mitigate traffic congestion, reduce auto emissions, and improve quality of life for their employees. Livable Buckhead is proud to announce QGenda as the 2021 Mobility Champion award recipient.

Like many other companies, the pandemic pushed QGenda into a fully-remote environment. However, leadership soon found that telework actually worked well, with no decline in employee productivity. The company has now returned to what their “new normal” will be, and the results are in: a new hybrid workforce will remain indefinitely.

So, how did they get there? The company realized early on that they would need guidelines and a system in place to manage this environment moving forward. This included an application process and department evaluations of each position to determine remote eligibility. To ensure productivity and connectivity continued, QGenda held a “Leading Remotely” workshop for managers and has leveraged communication technology such as Google Chat and Zoom. They also looked at studies, including Georgia Commute Options 2020 Remote Work Study, to identify trends in the local market. Their workforce will now incorporate a handful of onsite positions and a group of eligible remote employees, with most employees allowed to work a hybrid schedule or two remote days per week.

QGenda has also taken advantage of their conference room technology and is now using it as a way for employees to reserve desks. The platform is Robin Powered and is used by employees who come in less than 60% of the time.

“Giving back to the communities where our employees live is one of our core values,” says Kirsten Garrett, QGenda’s Chief People Officer. Prior to the pandemic, QGenda worked with Livable Buckhead to host a series of employee volunteer events, sponsoring the Loridans Park beautification project. QGenda regularly hosts town halls, corporate givebacks, trivia contests and more with both in-person and virtual components.

QGenda is expanding quickly and using their robust suite of benefits to attract and retain top talent. With 350 employees working remotely at least two days a week, the company is also helping to reduce Buckhead’s traffic congestion, taking over 1 million vehicle miles off the road each year. That’s almost 350 metric tons of CO2 emissions saved annually, which is the same as 17 garbage trucks of waste recycled instead of landfilled!

Livable Buckhead is honored to award QGenda as this year’s recipient and look forward to seeing more great work from the team!

* Metrics based on average Buckhead one-way commute.