1. Stroud International
There's always the danger of running out of superlatives to describe Stroud International. So, for now, let's try this: extraordinarily consistent. As in, extraordinarily consistent in being named the profession's Best Small Firm to Work For. Well, at least six of the last seven years and five years year in a row.
Even more impressive this year was a category clean sweep. The Operations Management firm managed to win all six of the categories the survey measures. What's its secret? The work? The people? Well, both, says Mark Rosenbaum, Partner and Leader of the Calgary office.
"We work hard on incredibly stimulating work alongside great people—the satisfaction of this creates a strong work/life balance for our people and across Stroud," Rosenbaum says. "Our organization is comprised of people who believe in pushing beyond the conventional limits—people who want to make a difference in the world and believe that there is so much more potential out there than most realize. They are passionate about making this happen and about inspiring others to challenge their own limits."
Morale across Stroud is very high, he says, as even when the firm faces significant challenges, people are enthusiastic, confident, and dedicated.
"This has to do with the types of people we employ—they have positive mindsets, and as a result are dedicated to bring about positive, sustainable change, internally and externally. Our employees are always willing to do more than is required or expected, and often enjoy spending time together outside of the office."
And all those great people walking the halls and serving clients undoubtedly leads to some pretty special culture. Rosenbaum says the firm doesn't look to drive culture through special projects or initiatives, but rather views it as part of the fabric of the business.
"We have great people who are brilliant and fearless and it's a huge amount of fun working with them. It goes beyond work/life-balance to a deeper, more sustainable life choice," he says. "We encourage everyone to view Stroud as their company. Therefore, it is everyone's responsibility to continue to make Stroud better. Many of the individual components of what makes Stroud great are conceived, created, and lead by junior people."
This sense of empowerment extends to the clients, as well. "Our people believe that they can do anything, and frequently demonstrate this through helping clients identify, realize, and unleash hidden, 'impossible' opportunities," he says.
As far as being recognized as the Best Small Firm to Work For, Rosenbaum says it raises expectations in a way that will help make Stroud even better in the future, and encourages a sense of pride across the organization, particularly with the unique set of challenges that a small firm can face. "Our clients know our people are happy and passionate about their work, and being named a Best Small Firm to Work For brings a performance boost that resonates across our networks," Rosenbaum says.
When you look at the remainder of this year and 2015, what excites you?
Mark Rosenbaum, Partner, says: "An area that is particularly exciting for me at the moment is our work in Capital Projects. We started working in this area a few years ago at the request of some of our clients that liked the fresh, methodical approach we had brought to other areas of their operations. There is a lot of growth potential in this field, and it is exciting to be developing a new offering."
© 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.