From holiday dinners to awards to tuition reimbursement, the companies named to the Best Places to Work list often share some common practices.
But, the names that appear on the list on a regular basis — the repeat winners — take things a step further to take care of and recognize the efforts of their employees, and they do so year in and year out.
Of the 35 winners of this year’s Hartford Business Journal’s Best Places to Work, 21 were winners last year. That includes a repeat by Qualdigm in the No. 1 spot for the small and medium employer category and Consigli Construction repeating as the No. 1 large employer.
“As an employee, I have been made to feel that what I do and what I contribute matters and is noticed,” said Cynthia Croxford, project administrator in Consigli’s project management department.
Culture is important at Hartford law firm Pullman & Comley. Chairman Tim Shearin said the culture is integral to the way Pullman’s 161 employees work.
Pullman placed sixth on last year’s list and placed eighth this year.
“Our success has always been built by every member of our firm where each of us takes great pride in teamwork and respect in working with each other, for our clients and in giving back to our communities,” Shearin said. “We are bound together by more than just economic ties. We are bound together because we truly enjoy one another’s company. And, because of that, the firm has and always will support its employees and their concerns.”
This year, two of Pullman’s lawyers started the LGBT Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. The firm’s diversity committee arranged for employees to spend Martin Luther King Day painting an emergency shelter in Bridgeport. Through dress-down Fridays, Pullman raised tens of thousands of dollars from employee contributions to spend on charitable causes and community foundations.
“Involve your employees in decision-making,” Shearin says. “Let them know how valuable and important their ideas are. If they have great ideas, give them the OK to run with them and be certain to give them credit.”
Stew Leonard’s, which placed 13th in the large company category both last and this year, has 1,249 team members working in three Connecticut stores. The company made 329 hires in 2013.
“We try to recognize our team members’ hard work and dedication through things like profit sharing, Sunday premium pay, and great healthcare benefits,” said Jill Leonard Tavello, vice president of culture and communication at Stew Leonard’s.
Store managers often reward team members for a job well done with Moo Notes, special notes of recognition that entitle the team member to a free lunch. Last year, Stew Leonard’s gave out more than $25,000 in free lunches in Connecticut.
“To make sure our team members have time for their families, we offer flexible schedules so that they can attend things like their children’s sporting events, recitals, and doctors’ appointments,” Tavello said.
At Bingham McCutchen in Hartford, the firm takes steps to help its 60 employees professionally and personally. Bingham placed 14th in the large company category last year and improved to 10th place this year.
“One of the hallmarks of our firm is a strong workplace culture,” said Dan Papermaster, managing partner of Bingham’s Hartford office. “We consider ourselves a learning organization, preparing our people for a constantly evolving legal industry.”
Bingham’s Learning & Development Department regularly hosts training sessions for lawyers, and each of the firm’s practice areas offers comprehensive in-house legal training typically led by experienced partners, all of which are coordinated to provide bar-required continuing education credit.
Bingham has adopted several measures — including a part-time policy for lawyers and staff, back-up child care, and a shared-leave program where employees can donate unused sick and vacation time – to help its employees to not only function at the highest level of the profession but also devote time and energy to their personal lives.
“We consistently hear from candidates that what sold them on Bingham was the people they met with and the feeling they had interviewing here,” Papermaster said. “It is the same with our legal work. We provide our lawyers with training and resources, but they are consistently in demand because of their reliability, cross-office collaboration with colleagues, and consistent attitudes.”
