Flat Organizational Structure: What the heck is that?

By: Riley Hastings, Marketing Specialist

At CWB National Leasing, our world is flat. No, we’re not “Flat-Earthers”. When we talk about being a flat organization, we mean something significantly different.

In our company, “flat” means there are few levels of management between our executives and front line employees. This structure comes with some major benefits.

Responsibility, involvement and innovation

This organizational style raises each staff member’s level of responsibility. As a result, employees are more involved in the decision-making process. We have a special department dedicated to business transformation. Our staff can approach them any time with ideas and get involved with shaping our company’s future.

“Employees at flat organizations like this one are inherently more empowered,” says Joel Druwe, Vice-president of Innovation and Marketing. “Everyone is closer to the work being done, so everyone is invested.”

People who feel involved feel important, and they perform well while enjoying a sense of independence. We’ve been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, so we know a thing or two about engaging our staff.

Efficient communication = quick results

Communication tends to happen faster and more efficiently in a flat organization. This is especially valuable at CWB National Leasing, where effective communication leads to quick results for our customers. We help business owners finance essential equipment, and we get them their funding – fast.

Have you ever had an idea at work that just seemed to be forgotten? Or maybe it had to go through so many levels that it got lost in the woodwork? A flat organizational structure helps to reduce lost opportunities.

“Diversity of thinking is key,” says Joel. “Gaining perspectives from all levels of our team helps us make informed decisions that drive our business forward.”

This flat organization stuff really works. Take it from me – as a summer student, I’ve only worked here for about a month and I’ve already had many chances to share my ideas with leadership. Some of these ideas are already becoming realities!

According to Forbes, executives and managers at “flatter” organizations realize that employees “don’t need to work at their company, they should want to work there and as a result everything should be designed around that principle.”

We find investing in the employee experience makes for a great working environment and strong corporate culture. These benefits pass on to our customers, because they are served by happy and motivated people. We’re dedicated to the success of our customers and equipment dealers, and we seek people who want to help make that happen.

If you’re a smart, helpful, creative and fun person who views problems as opportunities, and you think you’d enjoy working at a company where your ideas are heard, we’d love to hear from you. Check out our career page to view our current openings.