8. PeopleFirm
Ask Tamra Chandler, PeopleFirm's CEO and Founding Partner, what type of person would want to join the firm and she'll respond: "Someone interested in thinking big—then putting those big thoughts into action."
Chandler makes no bones about it— she says PeopleFirm's people are unique. "We seek out the best and brightest, and then create an environment that lets their talent and potential thrive," she says. " Many firms have great people, but we make sure we give our great people the platform to really become their best."
If you ask her to elaborate on just what that means, Chandler will say "We're fun, passionate, and a little funky. We take our work seriously, but never ourselves. We collaborate obsessively. We talk straight. We're geeks about people stuff and love to create and explore new ideas. We work hard and have high standards for our deliverables and client work, but when we come together we play hard, too."
Everything PeopleFirm does, she says, is designed to support this culture. The firm's offices, for instance are quirky and funky, complete with antiques, upholstered chairs, and plants, but no cubicles or offices. "We play music to encourage employees to talk and share," she says. "And we run the practice transparently, so tribe members really feel part of the beating heart of the business."
It's probably no surprise the firm excelled in the areas of culture and Work/Life Balance. Those work/life scores were buoyed, no doubt by PeopleFirm's Lily Pad Career Development model, which allows consultants to drive their own career.
"Each member of our team chooses which role 'lily pad' they want to either stay on or hop to sometime in the future, and we then work with them to help them get the experience and skills they need to get there," she says.
Additionally, the firm has a generous and flexible "take what you need" vacation policy, which includes a full week where the entire company closes down over the winter holidays. "This flexibility and our embrace of work/life balance all keep our tribe happy and engaged," she says.
As far as returning to the Best Small Firms to Work For list after a one-year hiatus, Chandler calls it a great honor.
"It validates for us, our employees, and our clients, something we believe in very strongly: that treating your people like adults —meaning trusting them with transparency into the business and with controlling their own time, giving them the environment to grow and thrive, and putting them in charge of their own careers and development—creates a great environment," she says. "Winning this award is a validation that we live our own advice. And that it works!"
When you look at the remainder of this year and 2015, what excites you?
Tamra Chandler, CEO and Founding Partner, says: "We've invested in several areas of our practice over the past several years, so as I look forward I'm excited about seeing all those seeds we've planted bloom into new work, new relationships, and continued growth for PeopleFirm. We have other investments that will be entering the market soon as well; for example we're writing a book on how to drive performance in today's new business world. Our highest priority is continuing to build brand recognition, and continuing to invite more and more people to join the extremely important conversation about how to build high performing organizations in today's slow-growth economy and changing business environment. "
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