According to AspenTech President and CEO Antonio Pietri, “Company culture is not something that is grown overnight, nor is it something that erodes overnight. [When it comes to] attracting and retaining talent it's about the overall value proposition for your employees.” 

Antonio made this comment during a Boston Business Journal (BBJ) Middle Market Leaders virtual panel earlier this month. Antonio and most of the other panelists, Dave Bugbee, Managing Director of NE Corporate Banking for Citizens Bank, Art Papas, Founder & CEO of Bullhorn, Inc and Mike Landsittel, CFO of Blueprint Medicines, were invited to speak as leaders from companies that had recently been recognized by BBJ as a few of the fastest-growing mid-market businesses in Massachusetts. It was an honor to attend the award ceremony last month among AspenTech colleagues.

The lively discussion covered topics such as retaining and attracting talent amid what's being called the Great Resignation, and the challenges of hybrid work. On the topic of retaining talent, Antonio noted that, while salary certainly plays a role, ultimately, it is a short-term solution to candidates’ bigger goals. It is just as, if not more, important to cultivate purpose in the work your team and company are engaged in – what do we, as an organization, collectively believe in? 

As Chief Human Resources Officer, I am in the unique position of bringing these questions and answers to our leadership team and working closely with them to ensure we are creating the kind of work environment that Antonio was referring to; the kind in which employees find purpose in their work. I’ve highlighted a few of the ways we aim to do this for our employees.

Giving back 

AspenTech is dedicated to engaging in charitable work and strengthening the communities our offices, and coworkers, call home. We began our AspenTech Gives Back program to provide global support through charitable contributions as well as volunteer opportunities. As part of this initiative, employees are encouraged to take a paid day to volunteer as a team or individual to help their community. 

You can often find our Houston team volunteering at Kids’ Meals, Inc. helping pack snacks and sandwiches that are distributed to local children. Last year, in honor of AspenTech’s 40th anniversary, AspenTech Gives Back committed a charitable donation to The Canopy Project. The donation resulted in 5,200 trees being planted on behalf of employees and customers. These are just two examples of the many different volunteer opportunities our employees take part in across the globe.  

Creating a sustainable future 

Sustainability and planning for the future are very important to AspenTech. As the world is transitioning to more sustainable energy solutions, the need to innovate to meet growing populations, as well as rising expectations of living standards, poses a dual challenge for capital-intensive industries. We have made it our priority to help our customers meet this challenge with the operational efficiencies and innovation that are made possible with our Industrial AI solutions. We’re starting to see that individuals are pursuing careers at AspenTech due, in part, to the opportunity to put a dent in climate change.

This commitment to sustainability is at the forefront of our product innovation, but it’s also central to our AspenTech Gives Back initiatives and the industry groups we partner with. For instance, we’re a member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), and our employees are able to engage directly in community initiatives like World Cleanup Day. The work AEPW is doing is something that we can all rally behind – who doesn’t want to leave the Earth a better place for future generations?  

In response to two years of mostly remote work, we’re in an era of workplace transition globally. Not only must the focus be on recruiting talent, but it is also about “recruiting” the talent you already have to make a meaningful connection between the work and those carrying it out. I, personally, am excited about what this workplace evolution means for nurturing employees with a sense of connection and belonging. And, most importantly, what it means for all of the talented people that work at AspenTech.

 If AspenTech sounds like a good fit for you, I invite you to check out our career page for open opportunities.