The 2018 Best Small Firms to Work For: Systems Evolution, Inc.

Consulting Service Lines:  Strategy, IT

The morale at Systems Evolution, Inc. (SEI) remains incredibly high. The team is committed, engaged and working hard to maintain its unique culture as it continues to grow and expand into new markets, says Bill Gallagher, CEO of SEI.

How else could one possibly explain how a firm ends up Consulting's Best Small Firms to Work For ranking eight years in a row? "It is a great honor for us to be recognized for the eighth time as a Best Small Firm to Work For," Gallagher says. "Our employees and clients alike view this recognition as a testament to our strong company culture and our continued focus on employee retention and engagement."

As owners in the business, SEI's consultants are deeply invested in the company and understand how "winning this award strengthens our brand in the market by lending creditability to our story within networking and business development conversations." 

And those conversations now include a new office in Miami, which is led by a team of dedicated, local consultants, many of whom relocated from other offices to ensure continuity of SEI's culture. The Miami area's diversified local economy and growing technology industry makes it a great place for the firm to open SEI's ninth office, he says. 

"The entire company is energized and excited to be in the Miami metro area," Gallagher says. "We're careful to approach growth very methodically and evaluate not only the demand for our services but our ability to provide the level of service that our clients have come to expect over the last 26 years." 

To that end, Gallagher says a career at SEI extends beyond providing great service and thought leadership to clients. "Our consultants take an active role in building and managing our business, in an environment that runs counter to traditional consulting firms," he says. "We only hire experienced professionals who thrive in an entrepreneurial and collaborative culture and share in the rewards of an employee-owned company."

"As SEI continues to grow, the need for accountability and responsibility does too. Many organizations respond by adding additional layers of management, Gallagher says. But the alternative, developing a culture of empowerment and peer accountability, can reduce the need for hierarchy and enrich overall employee satisfaction. "At SEI, we are invested in the performance of others in ways that extend far beyond our business," he says. "We've created an organizational culture where employees leverage peer accountability to make each other better by encouraging each other to try new things, expanding our skill sets, and supporting our business in ways that align to what they're passionate about."

On the survey, SEI excelled in the areas of work/life balance and compensation & benefits. why? 

Gallagher: "Our consultants live and work in the same communities as their clients. Because of this, our consultants are able to better balance professional, family and community commitments. Meanwhile, we have a unique and substantial broad-based employee ownership model valued by the financials of the local office. In addition to providing quarterly dividends, this model provides voting rights for the local board of managers and provides financial transparency to ensure our consultants are empowered to make business decisions. We also offer profit sharing, providing another opportunity to share in the collective financial success of the local office."