The 2020 Best Small Firms to Work For: Aveshka

Consulting Service Lines: Strategy and IT

Aveshka's culture is rooted in not just taking care of clients and the business, but making sure employees take care of each other. The Vienna, Va.-based firm has sought to create an environment where employees feel free to pursue their interests and always feel proud of where they work.

Placing these values front-and-center among the firm's highest priorities, particularly during a year of unprecedented challenges, has contributed to its recognition as a Best Small Firm to Work For.

"First and foremost, we aim for highest employee satisfaction where employees are proud to work at Aveshka. Leading a company that employees want to be a part of is one of the founding principles that endures to this day. We continue to cultivate an environment that encourages its employees to grow, flourish, and experience fulfillment in building their careers and skillsets by providing various training and development opportunities," says Aveshka President and CEO Girish Jindia.

"Second, Aveshka has been intentional with the programs we pursue and the agencies and organizations we support. We selectively go after programs where we know our capabilities will make a difference and enhance the national security space. We steer away from programs considered "commodity" in nature and seek long-term, mission critical programs. This is part of our business plan to provide and ensure stability for the company and our staff."

Jindia says the firm's commitment to its people and fostering an environment where everyone looks out for everyone else has been a continuous firm morale booster. He attributes the firm's sky-high morale to three main factors: Ensuring every worker knows their voice is heard, knows their work is making a difference, and knows that the company cares about their well-being.

No matter what happens over the next 6-12 months, Aveshka is aggressively looking for growth opportunities.

"Growth creates opportunity and stability for our employees and enhances our ability to execute our customer's important missions. We seek to deepen our capabilities and services in three important areas: Consulting, Technology, and Innovation. While these organizational areas have different offerings, the cross-pollination of these services allows Aveshka to provide our customers with comprehensive solutions to their most complex problems. We seek to bring the full force and capabilities of Aveshka and its employees to bear to each and every engagement," Jindia says.

"COVID-19 will not go away anytime soon – and with communities, businesses and industries affected by the pandemic, Aveshka will continue its critical role in COVID-19 response support for the next 6-12 months and beyond."

Jindia says Aveshka is uniquely positioned to grow during the COVID era and even beyond.

"For the rest of this year and well into 2021, we will continue to support customers in their COVID-19 response and planning, as well as ways to deal with these types of situations while executing their missions. We have identified opportunities to build out comprehensive portfolio services that pair our innovative and technological solutions with that."

Consulting: What impact do you think being a Best Small Firm to Work For has on the firm? Employees? Clients? 

Jindia: "The impact of this recognition is pride. Being selected as a Best Small Firm to Work For is humbling as it is proof that we've accomplished the original plan set out for Aveshka when it was first founded 10 years ago. The primary goal was to create a company that its employees are proud to work for. Knowing Aveshka was nominated for this award by its own employees tells me that we've accomplished that goal. However, the challenge is to keep the momentum going and to continue evolving the company in a manner where employees proactively choose to remain a part of Aveshka."