11. Plus Consulting
After a one-year hiatus, Plus Consulting finds itself as a Best Small Firm to Work For again in 2013, making it four out of the last five years for the Carnegie, Pa.-based operations management firm.
Steve Smith, President and CEO of Plus, says the recognition is an honor and definitely confirms that the firm, as a company, is staying true to the core values.
And, since, it's based on employee feedback "we know that their opinion of the company and their role in it is important to them, and that they are the ones that guide the future of Plus Consulting," Smith says. "It's also important for our clients to know that we're a great place to work. Employees that are happy with their job generally perform better, which keeps our clients satisfied. We're a team, and we utilize that mentality every day, for every project."
That "teaming" concept is a major differentiator for the firm. Smith says. "Plus Consulting built a team of social consultants. We have all the deep technical skills that match or exceed any of our competitors," he says. "But this is an industry based on relationships and people, and our people love working here."
And happy employees make for a healthy firm culture. Smith says Plus really strives to achieve a work hard, play hard mentality, and that keeps the morale very high. Recently, the firm moved into a new office space and got the chance to design the building to fit the firm's style, complete with an indoor basketball court, full industrial kitchen, a rooftop deck with a grill and a lounge area.
"Employees frequently have pickup basketball games, or hold outside meetings," Smith says. "One of our conference rooms has a garage door as a wall, and when it's nice out, the door is almost always open."
But Plus Consulting's investment isn't limited to a new office building. Smith says the firm is also investing to continue its organizational growth—both in terms of reach and range of services. "We have also committed to investing even more into education and development of our employees, giving Practice Directors more leeway, and funds, in finding creative solutions to training," he says. "We see huge opportunities based on our firm's bets over the past five years."
Specifically, he says, the firm has branched into service lines that are in great demand, such as Data and System Security, Business Intelligence, and Mobile CRM. "They are going to be huge plays for us in the next 12 months," he says. "We are seeing tremendous growth opportunities in our existing customer base and new customers resulting from our decisions to invest in these new service lines."
WERE THERE ANY SPECIFIC INITIATIVES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE FIRM BEING A BEST SMALL FIRM?
Steve Smith President & CEO, says: "There is a relentless dedication to our culture at Plus Consulting. We hire people who will thrive in it, and are constantly examining ways to enhance it even more. From the top down, we encourage a work-life balance, have flexible hours, and understand that keeping our employees happy keeps our company running. The management policy is focused on encouraging personal career development. We have created a work environment where people know they can advance and manage their careers. We are able to provide people the opportunity to take their careers in different directions (by switching practices in many cases) and transition to new roles as based on their interest and abilities."
© 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.