The 2023 Best Small Firms to Work For: Attain Partners

Client Industries Served: Public Sector including Education, Nonprofit, State and Local Government

Consulting Service Lines: Strategy and Operations Management

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

We are honored that Attain Partners has been named a Consulting Magazine Best Firm to Work For 2023. This prestigious accolade is a testament to the dedication, talent, and unwavering commitment that each of our team members brings to our organization and the clients that they serve every day.

At Attain Partners, we recognize that it's our people who make our clients' and our company's success a reality. Our dedicated team members are the driving force behind our success. As we celebrate this milestone, we remain committed to taking care of our people. We prioritize fostering an inclusive, innovative, and collaborative environment that empowers our team to thrive and to build a values-driven, built-to-last, and next-generation firm.

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

Headquartered in McLean, VA, Attain Partners has billable consultants living and working across the country in 34 states plus the District of Columbia. We recently launched our IDEA—Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Allyship—Program, to maximize a sense of belonging across our company by creating an environment where diverse experiences are embraced, authenticity is welcomed, and safe spaces are accessible. We work consistently and intentionally to take care of our in-person and remote team members equally.

We understand that with our geographically dispersed and diverse team, we must recognize and support their unique needs. To meet each employee where they are, we introduced unlimited time off (UTO) in 2022. This policy has buy-in across all levels of the organization to ensure that employees feel encouraged to use this benefit whenever they need. We also chose to look to the future of working environments, allowing our team the flexibility to work where they are most comfortable, remotely or from our offices in the Washington, DC Metro Area. As such, though many organizations are beginning to require varying degrees of in-office presence, we are not requiring a return to the office and instead, are providing additional support for remote work, including a monthly phone and home internet stipend, as well as home office equipment.

We have also been working hard this year to develop, train, and launch an initiative that we've been planning throughout the past year—our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) where our employees can build community among people with shared identities or experiences at work. In this connection, we've offered five groups with the intention to offer more as the company grows. Those groups are:

• People of Color
• LGBTQ+
• Parents and Caregivers Support
• Women in Leadership
• Attain Allies

Our employee-led IDEA board has put a lot of time and effort into developing these ERGs to best serve our team members and we are thrilled to have officially launched them.

CMAG: What's unique about your firm? What sets it apart?

Our shared dedication to upholding our core values—The Attain Way—is the soul of our company that strengthens the bonds within our team and creates an environment where team members feel empowered. Every day, our team of exceptional individuals brings their unique talents, ideas, and passions to serve our clients and it is their hard work, dedication, and creativity that drive our success.

The Attain Way inspires and motivates us as consultants, committing us to excellence, achieving the best results for our clients, improving the communities in which we live and work, and attaining insanely great success. This recognition, based solely on the anonymous input of our employees, reinforces that our dedication to our core values and the culture that we're building are resonating with our talented team and we couldn't be more proud.

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

At Attain Partners, we are committed to attracting, cultivating, and retaining top talent. As we continue to scale the company and position for continued growth, talent acquisition and development will continue to be a priority. We are rapidly growing our team of experts with the best and brightest in their fields, and welcoming the up-and-coming Gen Z workforce through initiatives like our highly rated summer internship program and a commitment to mentoring the leaders of tomorrow.

We continue to prioritize having the best leaders from across markets ready to serve. To achieve this, we are making a dedicated investment in the professional development of our talent to ensure that we are poised and ready to help our clients achieve their important missions.

CMAG: When you look at the remainder of this year and 2024, what excites you? What opportunities do you see in your markets?

We see tremendous opportunities to help our clients continue to grow and accomplish their missions. We've seen a huge increase in interim staffing and managed services in niche disciplines such as research administration and financial aid in markets like higher education. From helping a large, R1 university to train its next generation of research administrators, to placing top talent with industry experience at multiple institutions, we understand that the effects of The Great Resignation are still impacting many institutions.

We're also exploring new technologies to support colleges, universities, K-12 institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Our Salesforce CRM experts develop tailored, innovative solutions for our clients as well as provide recommendations based on the latest solutions, including the new Education Cloud and the new Nonprofit Cloud.

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

The honor of being named a Best Firm to Work For benefits our firm, team members, and clients alike as it reinforces our commitment to take care of our people and live our core values.

We look forward to continuing to drive excellence, achieve the best results for our clients, and attain insanely great outcomes—that's The Attain Way!