Reflection on the Quicken Loans Externship
For blended World War II, we visited Quicken Loans in Detroit. Quicken Loans is the second largest mortgage lender, behind Chase Bank, but they give much more to the people and city of Detroit than loans. Quicken Loans, along with owner Dan Gilbert, provide the city of Detroit with a new and enthusiastic spirit that was evident throughout our tour. The tour of Quicken Loans taught me that the attitude and culture that surround a business is crucial in inspiring its employees to do their best work.
The employees at Quicken Loans are encouraged to explore Detroit and leave their office to do their work. The culture at Quicken encourages learning beyond the office, and Campus Martius is an example of a place that Quicken employees go when they want to leave the office and still get work done. A motto at Quicken is “It doesn’t matter where you get your work done, as long as you get quality work done.” This motto resonates perfectly with our blended class because, just like Quicken, we are encouraged to explore our surroundings and not just be limited to the confinements of our desk. The sentiment of learning beyond the office fosters a sense of exploration and curiosity in the Quicken employees.
The positive attitude that is prevalent everywhere at Quicken is summed up in their ISMs. My favorite ISM is “Sometimes there’s more to getting the job done than just getting the job done.” This ISM is very relevant in all aspects of life because it attaches a sense of meaning and purpose to the workplace. This ISM encourages the Quicken employees to take responsibility for their work and to put effort into it. It is similar to how in blended class we are expected to put more into our project than just information by having personal experience and visits to make our project more meaningful. The ISMs also provide a unique culture to Quicken because they are something that every employee, in any position at the company, is expected to adhere to and can relate to. These ISMs give the employees at Quicken common goals and create a sense of teamwork and positive attitude throughout the company.
The employees at Quicken are encouraged to always aim higher, and embrace the attitude that the sky is the limit. For example, DPOP used to be a sector of Quicken Loans, but the employees in that area worked hard and eventually their company grew large enough to become separate from Quicken. They now have their own office space separate from Quicken, but the employees there embrace the same attitude that the employees at Quicken embrace- an attitude of enthusiasm and perseverance. Quicken also encourages start-up companies by giving them a small office space to grow their business until they, like DPOP, can go out on their own. Quicken Loans fosters a community where employees want to aim high and achieve great success.
Our externship to Quicken was extremely interesting and awesome. I got the chance to see the uniquely enthusiastic attitude that surrounds the company and has also had a positive impact on surrounding companies and areas of Detroit. It was amazing to see how young people (not much older than us) could contribute to a huge company with influence on the entire city of Detroit. Getting to see Quicken Loans along with other parts of Detroit was a great experience that I would love to do again in the future!
Rachel
