Atria’s Employee Value Proposition serves as a touchstone to clearly guide and strengthen the relationship between employer and employee.

How these company promises are put into practice often reflects the style, experience and personality of the company leaders who implement them.

Sean Purser, Atria’s Chief Quality Officer, recently shared insights on a key tenet of the Employee Value Proposition – building a culture of trust.

On trust between community leaders and the Quality Enhancement team…

Trust is essential to any effective collaboration. For example, the team I lead conducts rigorous assessments of every aspect of community life – that’s our sole focus.

On the surface, the dynamic between inspectors and community staff may seem adversarial – after all, who likes being scrutinized? But what we’ve achieved is a shared recognition that our process is necessary and mutually beneficial. It’s what sets us apart, and it’s how we improve.

For community leaders to understand why we measure protocols the way we do, it takes a lot of trust.

I’m very proud of the way Atria’s teams collaborate internally.

Quote from Sean Purser:

On the importance of trust for residents…

It’s like the saying: Trust, but verify. We trust communities provide exceptional service day in and day out – but we also verify. That’s how customers know these aren’t just slogans. Atria’s approach to quality is fundamental to our business, and it’s something families can rely on when making important decisions.

On how he fosters trust in those he leads…

It starts with good communication – like nearly everything! Because my team effectively communicates, I trust that each person knows their role and responsibilities and has all the tools to see them through.

Conversely, they know I have their back to do the job thoroughly. Once you achieve a level of comfort and familiarity with each other, you find a groove and can operate with a lot of independence.

On the role of trust in his career development…

There was no “aha” moment, for me. I think trust accumulates over time. But throughout my career at Atria, I’ve felt empowered to take steps that add value and make sense.

I’ve held different leadership roles, and in each I’ve seen processes that are well-designed, consistent, and fair. Consistency is incredibly important because trust often boils down to – does a person or organization make good on its promises? I enjoy being part of company that makes good on its promises.