The 2021 Best Small Firms to Work For: Analytics8

Client Industries Served: All

Consulting Service Lines: Strategy and IT

CMAG: How would you say you've managed to stay among the industry's Best Small Firms to Work For amid these unprecedented times?

Each day, we work hard to align what we do with our vision so that we can build a better future with data. We know that we must have world-class data and analytics consultants to do it, so we invest a lot of time and effort to train them and get them working on interesting and fulfilling projects.

CMAG: Were there any specific programs or initiatives (internal or external) that contributed to you being a Best Small Firm to Work For?

In 2020, we made a couple of changes that made a big impact. One is that we started an aggressive hiring plan that placed new hires into monthly cohort groups. We've found that employees with a start group feel more connected to the company and their colleagues and are better able to navigate the resources they need to do their jobs. Each cohort goes through the same onboarding process, and we refine and improve it each month using feedback from recent new hires. We also adjusted our go-to-market strategy that has allowed us to sell bigger, more interesting projects for our team to work on.

CMAG: What is unique about your firm? What sets it apart?

From a client perspective, we talk about our experience and that we've "been there and done that" before, but I think the thing that resonates more is our "no bullshit" philosophy—we're real people that bring real results to our clients. We always do what is best for our clients and focus on delivering solutions that bring the most value—even if that means advising against "cool" projects we don't think they are ready for. Being well-grounded in the fundamentals of our industry while being able to identify and deploy bleeding-edge technology not only brings results for our clients but also is fulfilling for our consultants.

CMAG:  What's the top priority over the next 6 to 12 months?

Our top priority is growth. To be successful, we need to focus on refining and improving both our employee and client experience. When it comes to employee experience, we have worked to streamline and enhance our onboarding and training programs so both new hires and seasoned employees feel empowered to do their jobs. When it comes to improving client experience, not only are we working to stay abreast of the best technology available, but we also are working to make our engagements as consistent as possible across all our delivery teams. Our goal is that clients benefit from the combined knowledge and experience of our whole company and not just the experience and knowledge of the consultants working with them on a daily basis.

CMAG: When you look at the remainder of this year and 2022, what excites you? What opportunities do you see in your markets?

Coming out of COVID, it is a different world—the way organizations did things in 2019 is irrelevant today. Consumers behave differently, supply chains are different, and most companies have adjusted their businesses but lag on the data infrastructure they need. Lots of them are taking the opportunity to look at their data and analytics needs with fresh eyes—and we're here to help them! What excites me is that we are not only ready to help, but we have the expertise that's needed to make a difference.

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

We are proud of our culture and the team we have built at Analytics8, so it is an honor to receive this award. The award itself will help us when it comes to recruiting so we can attract the best talent—which in turn will benefit our clients. It will also help us stay a "Best Small Firm to Work For" until we qualify as a "large firm!"