The 2023 Best Small Firms to Work For: Treacy & Company by Cherry Bekaert

Client Industries Served: 10

Consulting Service Lines: Strategy, Growth and Innovation

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 proud of the fact that we have been able to stay among the industry's Best Firms to Work For even in these unprecedented times. We attribute this success to our cultural practices, which are continuously evolving as we grow and expand. We place a strong emphasis on community building and provide various opportunities for people to connect with each other. These include biweekly virtual wellness events, biweekly in person get-togethers, and a hybrid working model for those days when we are in the office. We also promote flexibility and strive to create an atmosphere of belonging. Additionally, we recognize excellence through our quarterly awards program which celebrates employees who embody our company values.

We believe that by creating these meaningful connections and promoting an environment of appreciation, we are able to foster a positive and productive workplace culture. Through our culture- driven practices, we have created a space that allows our employees to thrive and be their best selves. With this approach, we remain committed to being one of the Best Firms to Work For in the industry.

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

Standing up as a formal community team helped us become a stronger, more tight-knit organization. We focused efforts on bringing people together in either a virtual or remote setting. Another thing we do that our team members really appreciate: We encourage people to work cross-office (meaning team members who typically work in Chicago will travel to our Boston office to work for a week and vice versa).

Lastly, we conduct a monthly internal net promoter score among employees. We want them to tell us how they're doing and ensure that our team members are satisfied with our organization. We want to listen to them and adapt as needed.

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

We're a relatively small practice with 45 people, and we've made that an asset. We punch way above our weight in terms of the clients we serve, counting a lot of Fortune 500 and private multi-billion-dollar companies as customers we've worked with.

We work on big, transformational projects for our clients. They will keep us around for 12 to 18 months and continue to work with us for a longer period than what is traditional for other consulting practices. Another differentiator for us is that our associates get a seat at the table on teams working closely with executives and CEOs. Even first-year associate team members get to listen in on conversations with executive teams of major companies. Therefore, we say a year at T&Co feels like four years elsewhere.

We develop people quickly and never limit professional and personal growth in our consultants.

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

Our top priority for the next 6 to 12 months is continuing to grow our practice while investing in our people and maintaining our unique culture. We will strive to retain the qualities that make us special by keeping an open dialogue with our staff, listening to their needs, and making sure we have a feedback loop in place.

We also want to ensure that we continue to create a safe, diverse, and inclusive environment that values inclusivity, compassion and collaboration. This means we must actively seek out ways to support our employees' unique strengths – personal or professional – and making sure they feel respected and appreciated.

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

As we look to the remainder of this year and into 2024, there are some incredibly exciting opportunities that we can work on. We have the ability to continue to thrive in a hybrid model, allowing us to respond to the unique strategic growth and innovation needs for our clients while also continuing to grow our practice.

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

For employees, there is definitely a pride element with being named a top firm. In addition to the recognition with Consulting Magazine, we've just been named on Fortune's 2023 Best Small Workplaces™ list!

We know the work we do and the community we're building for our team and clients—it's nice to get recognized and feel validated by leading media too. We put a lot of effort into maintaining our culture. Our clients appreciate it too. It's nice to showcase our work and capabilities so we're able to help even more clients in the future.