I'm Maribeth Bendick, and as the Director of Employee Engagement at Daugherty Business Solutions, my number one priority is simple: making sure my teammates enjoy working here. It’s a big responsibility, but one that I love. I’m part of the C.O.R.E Support Team, which stands for Culture, Onboarding, Recognition, and Engagement. Our team shapes the experience for every new teammate who joins Daugherty, ensuring they feel welcomed and part of something special from day one.
“My number one priority is making sure my teammates enjoy working at Daugherty. It’s all about creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and engaged.”
A huge part of my job is overseeing the onboarding experience, ensuring every new hire’s first impression is as positive and warm as possible. But the work doesn’t stop there. We’re constantly brainstorming ideas and creating ways for people to connect and engage, no matter where they are or what their interests might be. And that’s the beauty of Daugherty—there’s truly something for everyone, and we always encourage teammates to bring their own ideas for groups and events to the table. Daughtery has a culture that thrives on collaboration and creativity, which is why I love it here.
No two days are alike in my role, which keeps things exciting. At the start of the week, I’m usually deep into onboarding tasks, ensuring everything is in place for new teammates. Throughout the rest of the week, I could be managing events, attending Lunch & Learn virtual meetings, or working on projects that impact our company’s culture. One of the best parts of my job is being an event planner. I get to create amazing experiences that I attend and enjoy . From chili cookoffs, BizDash 5K, Chicken N Pickle meetups and our DEI trainings, the events here are incredible. We even have Random Coffee meetups and a Summer Luau!
Of course, every role comes with its challenge. My biggest challenge is engaging a remote workforce. It’s tough to convince people to leave their comfy homes and come together in person, but we’re always thinking outside the box to find new incentives and ways to encourage that connection.
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do here. My team holds a daily standup to ensure we’re on track with upcoming events and new hire groups, and we’re always checking in on our ongoing projects. One of the recent projects I’m particularly proud of is the launch of our new recognition platform, Awardco. It’s streamlined the process for anniversary gifts and international swag, saving the company money while offering our teammates more gift options and better reporting features.
“The best part of my job is building connections—whether it’s through onboarding, events, or just daily interactions. There’s truly something for everyone here.”
What makes Daugherty truly special is the people. I’m surrounded by wonderful, smart, and fascinating coworkers. That's hands down my favorite part of the job. I’ve also had the privilege of working closely with Jan Daugherty, who started the company nearly 40 years ago. Her belief in me has allowed me to be creative and take charge of planning so many exciting events.
Daugherty is also serious about work-life balance. We host family-friendly events, health and wellness Lunch & Learns, and even Step Challenges to keep everyone moving throughout the workday. The resources provided by our benefits team are a big help as well.
Looking back, I’d tell anyone considering a role at Daugherty to take the leap and enjoy it—the places this company can take your career are beyond what you might imagine.
Personally, I’ve grown a lot since joining the team. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly smart people who have taught me so much, and our elaborate training programs have helped me mature my soft skills in ways I never expected. This place has been a game-changer for my career and personal growth, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
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