10) PeopleFirm
After making its debut last year, PeopleFirm, a strategy firm specializing in Human Resources, proved it was no one-hit wonder by returning again as a Best Small Firm to Work For in 2012.
"This is the second year we will be recognized and I can tell you this is a huge deal for our team," says Tamra Chandler, CEO of PeopleFirm. "First and foremost the team will see it is a validation of the culture, our values, and the tone we've set within PeopleFirm. In short, it's clearly confirmation that we're on the right path as we continue to grow and develop our practice."
And Chandler's attention will be squarely on growth as the economy continues to recover and more organizations return to the strategic issues that PeopleFirm addresses, such as an aging workforce, driving engagement and employee retention, rethinking organization structures and strategies in the 21st century, and building change capable organizations.
"We believe this renewed focus on strategy talent and organization issues will only lead to greater demand for our services," she says. "We know we have a lot to offer, so continuing to grow our team, our solutions, and our client partners remains our key focus."
And that's led to expansion. PeopleFirm recently set-up operations in Canada and is looking to build out an office in California," Chandler says. "We continue to invest in marketing and business development to expand our market reach," she says. "We're optimistic about our prospects and continuing to grow our footprint, and this recognition will support our effort to drive greater market awareness across North America."
On the Best Firms survey, the firm excelled in the area of Culture, an aspect of the firm that Chandler takes very seriously. "I think the heart of our approach comes from our strong belief that the best cultures are built when employees are treated in a trusted and mature manner."
As a result, Chandler says the firm has a very open communication approach where consultants see the financials monthly and are aware of how the business is managed. In addition, the firm gathers several times a year for two or three days to refresh, build solutions and celebrate the firm.
"Our core values are not merely words on our Web site; we live them each day and certainly filter our critical business decisions through their lens," she says.
Q&A: What specific initiatives did you set out to achieve in the last 12 months?
Tamra Chandler, CEO, says: "We set out to increase the tools and content we provide our team to support career planning and development. As a result we've rolled out a robust competency model that allows our team to assess their consulting, solution, and delivery competencies. Additionally we've described 10 roles within our practice including the accountabilities, success criteria, and needed competencies to perform the role. With this information our team can design their career path, and find the right role destination for their next move. Additionally they can assess areas for development and work with others to build a plan to ensure they get the experiences and development needed to meet their aspirations."
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.