Unparalleled flexibility… encourages creativity… high concern for the employees' wellness and happiness… what's going on here? These are the words and phrases Slalom Consulting's own employees use to describe the firm on this year's Best Firms to Work For survey. The 10-year-old strategy and technology firm employs the local model where consultants don't travel very much—or at all. Based in Seattle, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Calif., Portland and San Francisco.
The award is especially meaningful to Slalom Consulting because "being a Best Firm to Work For is a central part of our vision—to be the best travel-free consulting firm," says Brad Jackson, CEO of Slalom. "This recognition validates our local model, which allows our consultants to work on the most strategic projects for clients, while having the opportunity to devote more time to their family, friends and community."
It's a model that has been growing in popularity the last several years, and three Best Firms to Work For—Point B, North Highland and Slalom—employ the model successfully. "Our local model is an important part of what makes us one of the best companies for our consultants to work for, and this also makes us one of the best companies for our clients to work with," Jackson says. "It enables us to develop strong relationships with our clients, and those relationships have accelerated our growth and brand."
Indeed, the Best Firms survey is full of consultants raving about the firm's commitment to the local model and touting the popularity of the Slalom's "no unwanted travel" policy. Other popular employee programs include the "Sabbatical" and "Slalom Board" programs. Under the Sabbatical program, consultants are rewarded with a month off (at 75 percent pay) every three years. "We encourage consultants to take a trip or do something they have always wanted to do," Jackson says.
It's opportunities like these that make Slalom a unique place to work. "Slalom was built from the ground-up to be a different kind of firm—one that values relationships in a way that is fresh to the industry, and seems to be appealing to both our consultants and clients," Jackson says. "We invest in making our relationships long-term and productive for clients, which we feel is unique within the industry."
It's working. The firm grew 30 percent this year and is projecting 30 percent growth next year to eclipse the $200 million revenue mark in 2011. Because of this growth, industry awards and client recognition, morale is at an all-time high and attrition is at an all-time low, Jackson says. "While 2009 was a down year for our industry, we were growing and making several longer-term investments," he says. "These investments are paying off."
Q&A with Brad Jackson
On the survey, Slalom excelled in the areas of Leadership and Work/Life Balance. We asked Brad Jackson, CEO of Slalom, why he thought the firm scored so high in these areas.
Slalom was founded to give more senior consultants the challenging work and professional growth opportunities they're looking for, acknowledging that these people often have become rooted in their communities and with families, and are less likely to want to travel. We are proactive with our hiring, and often rely upon our consultants' networks to expand our teams. That has helped us to build an environment of like-minded people, and that, of course, is the foundation for any company culture to thrive.
Leadership
We have crafted a community-oriented culture based on teamwork, open communication and gathering feedback. We know our people are our greatest asset, so we focus on the personal relationships we form within our teams and the collaborative nature of how we work throughout the organization.
Work/Life Balance
Our model is built on the concept that consultants want challenging assignments where they can contribute their skills and grow professionally, and benefit from no unwanted travel. We have a culture of going all-in during the weekdays, and dedicating evenings and weekends to family and friends.
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