13. Acquis Consulting Group
Acquis Consulting Group has propelled itself back onto our Best Small Firms to Work For list after a year hiatus, with a renewed "people first" core and a focus on the firm's greatest assets: Its staff. To that end, the New York-based firm has implemented mentorship and training programs to sharpen the knowledge of its experts and help new consultants flourish.
"Our employees know they are our greatest assets. They know we support them with all the resources of the firm. Revenue is increasing, our client base is expanding, and morale is strong. Our firm leadership is generally very modest. We don't walk around talking about how much our revenue has grown, or about our greatest new client. But we are very proud of the culture we've created," says Acquis Consulting Group CEO David Kaufman.
One sure-fire way to keep morale up is to ensure employees are doing quality work that helps clients. Acquis scored in our top 3 among small firms when employees were asked how often they think their work has a positive impact on clients and whether the firm is meeting client needs.
"Everyone in our business is smart, driven, and competitive. What makes Acquis unique is the way in which that competitive drive is completely harnessed toward the success of the project, and not the individual. Our people are obsessed with their clients' success, and they trust that they will be recognized for that success. Our core values are 'People First,' 'Advance Together,' and 'Think + Do'. These values guide the work we do, and set us apart from other firms," Kaufman says. As a result, he adds, "Revenue is increasing, our client base is expanding, and morale is strong."
Kaufman says one of his measures for the firm's success is the satisfaction of its employees. He says the firm strives to create a supportive environment where everyone pulls together for a common goal of delivering the best possible service to the clients, but also a place where everyone can come together for a good time.
"We like to believe we've created a "second family" environment where each individual has an opportunity and obligation to contribute to our shared success. When people learn about us, they are surprised to find out that although we are a small firm, we work in many industries, with global companies, and on various sized teams. Once they start meeting with our people, they can't help but feel the positive energy in the firm. It's an energy that comes from our focus on people. They see we're working hard, but they also hear about our latest scavenger hunt or ping pong tournament," he says.
Kaufman says the award is a validation of the kind of culture they've been trying to establish. "Having the Best Firms recognition helps validate to our employees that we are truly focused on this value, that people are the core of our success. Our employees take great pride in our culture. This recognition gives them another reason to be proud to work for our firm."
What's your top priority the next 12 months?
David Kaufman, CEO, says: "Our top priority is always delivering solutions that meet and exceed our clients' needs. Our success in meeting that goal over the previous year sets us up for growing the firm over the next 12 months. Our client base has doubled in the past year, and our work has become better known in more industries. We have hired our first business development person and are looking to add to internal support. Our growth will be controlled, however, as we will never sacrifice our exacting recruiting process or our exceptional client work."
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