Employee Spotlight: Mike Ciancio, IT Director
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, April 5, 2023 –
MIKE’S JOURNEY TO JOINING G2 OPS
Mike Ciancio joined G2 Ops as IT support specialist in 2018. He and his future wife wanted to move from Delaware to a community where they both could have fulfilling careers. “We were invited to check out Virginia Beach by a friend who lives here. I saw that it’s a military town with good IT opportunities and found a G2 Ops job listed online. I had a nice, long call with Dean Smith who said they were looking for a person who knew both IT administration and information security, which was a fit for me. So, I drove 4.5 hours for an interview, met the owners, and shortly afterwards joined the company.”
HOW HAS THE COMPANY HELPED YOU GROW IN YOUR CAREER?
“When I was first hired, I had an associate degree, and earned my bachelor’s on my own time while working at G2 Ops. They were very encouraging, helped a bit with tuition, and hosted a celebration when I was awarded my degree. In five years, I’ve progressed from being a one-person IT technician to Director, managing a dozen people. I’m challenged every day, which pushes me to get better, take responsibility, learn, and pass on to others what I have learned.”
WAS THERE A SPECIFIC TIME WHEN YOU THOUGHT OF G2 OPS AS MORE THAN JUST A JOB?
“When I started supervising people that were right out of school, I realized I wasn’t just managing task performance. I saw that I was also teaching basic life skills like how to make decisions, how to write a business email, and how to be a young adult in the world. I really like having an impact on the people I work with.”
HOW DOES G2 OPS HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?
“We recently revamped our job descriptions towards narratives that can capture attention and pique interest. As a manager, I start this process by writing an “impact description” outlining day-to-day tasks as well as how their work affects the company. The HR team then polishes my outline into a more engaging narrative. People are attracted to opportunities where they can visualize how they could make an impact.”
DOES G2 OPS’ “GOLD STANDARD” APPLY TO RECRUITING AND RETENTION?
“The Gold Standard Methodology is one of G2 Ops’ special ingredients. We apply Gold Standards broadly, in business processes as well as how we hire new employees. Rather than just wing it, we replicate what works well with standards for how to do things, who is responsible for what, and documented workflows for efficiently getting from A-to-Z. Things are not set in stone, never to be looked at again. We continue to improve, go back, and update the documents.”
WHAT SHOULD PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES KNOW ABOUT WORKING AT G2 OPS?
As a fast-growing small company there is plenty of room for career growth. Plus, our organization is matrixed, meaning there’s room to get involved in many different ways. For example, as IT Director, I manage our internal systems, and I also apply my skills as billable hours on contract work. As the company continues to succeed, we need more people who can grow as leaders.”
WHAT’S A GOOD WAY FOR SOMEONE TO GET INTO G2 OPS TODAY?
“As we grow, we’re constantly identifying gaps in our ranks, creating new positions to fill those needs, and recruiting to fill those spots. We love internships because they help us test potential employees before hiring them full time. I hired one intern while they were still a senior in high school. They were successful, ended up being hired full time, and are still here at G2 Ops.”
WHAT KIND OF PERSON DOES NOT FIT WELL AT G2 OPS?
“G2 Ops is not a good fit for a know-it-all, who is unwilling to learn from others. People here must be willing to work together and see the value of everyone on the team.”
For more information about G2 Ops, contact:
info@G2-ops.com
G2 Ops, Inc.
2829 Guardian Lane
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
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