Overall ranking: #1
Name: Ocean State Job Lot
Organisation size: Enterprise
Strongest award element: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Inclusivity champions Ocean State Job Lot set a powerful precedent with strategic hiring practices and race & ethnicity demographics – underpinned by their core value: “Embrace Diversity; Everyone is Welcome”.

‘We pursue and embrace creating a diverse team of associates, and an equitable and inclusive environment. One OSJL value is “Embrace Diversity; Everyone is Welcome” and another is “Grow to Create Recognition and Advancement Opportunities for Team Members,” with policies that set expectations and processes for attracting, including, developing and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to have had an inclusive transgender policy in place 9 years ahead of the curve, and we developed a policy around religious accommodations and inclusiveness before we were required to do so.

Through strategic hiring practices, company-wide associate race and ethnicity demographics continue to better reflect the demographics of the communities we serve. Over a short course of months, the percentages of associates employed, who identified as Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino and Two or More Races, jumped four points from 24.8% of associates in May 2020 to 28.8% of associates in October 2021. Associates at company headquarters (corporate and distribution center), represent more than 40 different countries of origin with seven language dialects. Gender diversity among leadership has increased over the past three years. Since 2018, 66% (2 of 3) of Regional Director roles are held by women. This is the top leadership role in our retail stores.

From the judges:
‘Wow…blown away by this entry. Navigating through a global pandemic in the retail sector is tough but this organization have taken away so many learnings, listened to their people and gone to great lengths to put the overall wellbeing and needs of their people first.  Some remarkable statistics and success stories alongside some incredible work.’

Overall ranking: #2
Name: Intelligent Medical Objects
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Experience

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
With holistic workplace initiatives, communication objectives and inspiring leadership, Intelligent Medical Objects stand tall among their competitors.

‘Sometimes the best mode of communication is simply word of mouth. As our management team has the closest line of site on that it is employees need to know more about, we rely on our Management Leadership Team (MLT) to be the primary mouthpiece for a lot of what needs to be disseminated. Our MLT reports directly to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) so close collaboration between those groups is essential to accurate and complete communications – both on the push and pull. We recognize that so much of one’s experience with us comes from the most immediate team around us; our culture is very much focused on relying on all of our people managers to create opportunities for their teams to commune, communicate, and collaborate in ways that make the most sense for them.

As a means for listening to our people, we created an environment where people not only had the opportunity, but also the expectation, to share their feedback, perspective, and insights with the people around them – including our CEO, Ann Barnes. In fact, Ann holds “Fireside Chats” with intimate groups of 5-8 employees (at all levels) to discuss whatever is on their minds. Since beginning this exercise in April of 2020, Ann has conducted 23 Fireside Chats and has connected face to face with 163 employees in the process. This has resulted in not only a more authentic bond between Ann and the employees, but a wealth of knowledge that helps inform – in real and meaningful ways – the direction we take on certain workplace initiatives.’

From the judges:
‘Measured, thoughtful, intentional, inspirational are just some words that spring to mind after reading this entry. What a phenomenal mission, journey and set of results. This sounds exactly like somewhere I’d love to be a part of.’

Overall ranking: #3
Name: Takeda Business Solutions
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Experience

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Takeda Business Solutions commitment to challenging the status quo drives positive change and operational performance.

‘To realize its vision and people experience (Px) aspiration, TBS has a dedicated px center of excellence, focused on enabling its people to create an exceptional employee experience.

Furthermore, TBS empowers employees to challenge the status quo; continuously reimagine and recreate enhanced and simplified processes; drive innovation; and do their best work. It fosters a culture of curiosity and is committed to empowering employees to drive the positive changes they envision.

To support this, TBS places clear focus on unleashing the power of data and digital to enable employees’ agility.

TBS launched the Finance Automation Program, developed in partnership with Finance and IT, creating a global network of “Digital Champions.” The program allows employees with no prior knowledge of robotic process automation (RPA) to learn to build their own “bots” during an immersive five-week program. The bots are digital assistants that complete repetitive, mundane business tasks, freeing up employees’ time for higher value-added activities and creating a more rewarding working environment. The program is sponsored by TBS leaders and supported by its center of excellence teams, who ensure its viability and quality.

To date, TBS has trained 1,700 employees, created 350+ bots and generated 385,000 hours of productivity. The program has earned write-ups in Nikkei, Wired, WSJ and RockingRobots and won the 2021 Intelligent Automation Impact Award from SSON Europe.’

From the judges:
‘A thorough, detailed and very impressive entry from Takeda Business Solutions. They are totally committed to their people’s daily experiences, striving to improve at every opportunity.’

Overall ranking: #4
Name: Brad’s Deals
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Brad’s deals raise the bar in pursuit of professional and personal equanimity for their people.

‘With a solution-oriented mindset, our flexible work environment isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Managers work with employees on their schedules, needs, and development at Brad’s Deals. Our benefits and well-being and diversity events always consider how to make employees feel more included, satisfied with their job, and more balanced with plenty of paid time off.

An additional resource we added to help families find more balance included the Working Parent Benefit Program to better support our employees with childcare challenges during unprecedented times. This program provides educational services that educate and entertain children while freeing up time for parents to focus on their daily work or other home requirements. We reimburse up to $80 per child, 2-18 years old, for a subscription to services like ABC Mouse, Adventure Academy, ABC Ya, Prodigy Math, etc. This was followed with a working Parent ERG to connect and help families during school closures, hybrid models, returning to school, etc. Our ‘care-givers tips’ was a spot to share advice and ask questions on what’s working, find online resources, and give overall support that we’re in it together.

Because of all we do, we are proud to say our recent annual employee survey shows 83% of our staff value our well-being initiatives, and 91% of our co-workers feel that we provide a positive and healthy environment.’

From the judges:
‘Wow…. Big goals internally and externally with some impressive results. You’re constantly learning, evolving and pushing the direction of ‘people-first’ in all you’re doing.’

Overall ranking: #5
Name: Stanton House
Organisation size: Small
Strongest award element: Communication

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Stanton House, Inc. are an outstanding example of the transformational power of two-way, authentic communication.

‘At Stanton House, we’re obsessed with having the most open possible dialogue we can with all of our people. This starts with our leadership team where everyone is pushed to be as open and honest as possible, providing as much context as we can for all of the decisions we make.

While how we communicate outwardly is important, we believe how we listen is even more important. All of our leadership team are trained on how to actively listen, with regular feedback provided on how well they live and breathe this day-to-day. We work hard to truly hear what our people are telling us and believe they hold most of the answers on how to build an exceptional business.

We asked our teams to go away and discuss any and all ideas they have that we could implement to give them more flexibility to do their job. They came back with altered hours, increased PTO, different public holidays and flexible Fridays. We’ve decided to implement everything they’ve requested.
We regularly host 360 feedback sessions for all team members where we get away from the desk and practice giving each other difficult constructive feedback.

We recently changed a number of elements of our pay and commission because our people fed back that they thought some aspects could be more compelling. We listened and now we pay them more.

We’ve learned the more we listen, the better our business has become. A large part of our tremendous success has been down to the open communication we have with our people.’

From the judges:
‘An inspiring workplace that has the results to show. An exceptional focus on wellbeing and communication and clear 2-way methods of collaborating and inspiring your people.’

Overall ranking: #6
Name: ORTEC USA
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
ORTEC USA go above and beyond to cultivate a creative workplace culture in order to optimise the world through applied mathematics.

‘Our values, rooted in our purpose, are our true core and guide us in our decision-making. They embody our history and provide the solid foundation upon which we build our future. With a true passion for our profession, we bring our solutions to life for our customers through the expertise of our employees. We are a family of smart, explorative minds. We are open, curious, versatile, eager, and creative. Every day, we challenge ourselves to solve complex problems and deliver innovative solutions with measurable impact.

We leverage a performance-driven culture with a strong dedication and responsibility to our customers, colleagues, organization, and the world around us. We feel connected to each other and embrace authenticity. By being honest and fun to work with, we give each other the freedom to excel and to use our unique strengths and talents. We consider it our responsibility to make applied mathematics available in a transparent, safe and sustainable way. At its core, we go the extra mile to optimize the world.

Our employees are recognized as the driving force behind our success. They usually have a strongly developed talent for analytical thinking, and a drive to identify and solve complex problems. ORTEC’s close ties with the academic world ensure that our people are operating on the cutting edge of new technologies and developments in the fields of analytics and optimization. As an ORTEC employee, you can make a difference.’

Overall ranking: #7
Name: PagerDuty
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
PagerDuty and its inspirational leader demonstrate unwavering commitment towards cultivating a culture of ubiquitous leadership.

“At PagerDuty, we demonstrate that even enterprise technology companies can be both inclusive and high performing. By taking intentional action, we ensure that everyone feels at home here and has an equal opportunity for success and career growth.”

We shared the following progress towards diversifying our company leadership in our second annual Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Report, released December 2021:

– We appointed prominent Black leaders Dr. Alec D. Gallimore and Bonita Stewart to our Board of Directors, achieving gender parity.
– 50% of our Board of Directors are women and 75% are non-white
– 40% of our Senior Leadership are women
– Nearly 45% of PagerDuty’s managers are from an underrepresented group (Female, Black, Latine)

CEO, Jennifer Tejada says, ‘you don’t need a title to be a leader’ and loves the moment when a leader achieves something they previously thought was impossible. At PagerDuty, we believe that everyone can be a leader, and that is reflected in our company values: Champion the Customer, Ack&Own, and Take the Lead. We also believe that leadership extends beyond the workplace, and into our larger communities.’

Overall ranking: #8
Name: Rackspace Technology
Organisation size: Enterprise
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Rackspace Technology embrace engagement opportunities to empower their community to deliver on internal, and external goals.

‘Our organization’s purpose is to empower the world’s inspiring missions. We deliver on this by rallying around our company’s mission: embrace technology, empower customers, and deliver the future.

This sense of purpose is deeply embedded in our culture. It starts on day one as our employees (whom we call Rackers) learn about our employee value proposition, which states that “Rackers are valued members of a winning team on an inspiring mission.” And it comes to life through the Fanatical Experience™ we provide to our customers — whether internal or external, the Racker Experience we build through communications and programs, and the ways we recognize and reward Rackers for living our Core Values and business priorities.

To help Rackers realize their own inspiring missions, we invest in Racker careers and growth through robust, comprehensive technical certification programs. We encourage Rackers to invest at least 52 hours every year on intentional growth and learning. We focus the third Thursday of every month on innovation, inviting Rackers to spend time away from meetings to explore new, creative approaches to work and customer problems. We give Rackers at least 40 hours of paid time off per year to invest in community organizations and causes they care about.

These efforts are recognized and appreciated by Rackers, as Rackers understanding of how their work contributes to achieving Rackspace Technology’s goals (Contribution) and belief that the work they do is meaningful (Purpose) both scored in the top five categories on our most recent Employee Engagement survey.’

Overall ranking: #9
Name: Avail Car Sharing
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
A remote organization with a leadership team cultivating a people first culture… to great Avail.

‘At Avail, our leadership team believes that nothing is more inspiring than purpose-driven work that moves the company closer to achieving its vision.

Our CEO and senior leadership team collaboratively set our “big five” strategic goals at the beginning of each year. As leaders cascade the goals through their people and set individual-level objectives, they are required to connect each objective to a “big five” Avail goal. This keeps the organization aligned and reinforces the critical nature of each Availer’s work in achieving our strategic goals/vision.

Avail’s CEO verbally and visually reinforces our “big five” strategic goals during each monthly Avail Town Hall (organization-wide communication and recognition meeting). He also shares progress against our goals to crystalize how Availers’ work is enabling our success.

In addition to the inspiration felt by purpose-driven work, leaders inspire through continual recognition and demonstrating genuine care for their people.

Leaders continually recognize their people through Town Hall core values awards (during monthly company-wide meetings), sharing “kudos” in our kudos Slack channel which is solely dedicated to employee recognition, and team-level recognition (ex: MVP awards given during operations team meetings).

Avail is an extremely people first organization. We operate fully remotely, with the exception of essential workers. Leaders work to understand what’s going on in their people’s personal lives, and readily afford them the flexibility and understanding necessary to balance their personal and professional obligations. We see evidence of this constantly, whether it’s through photos of dogs sitting next to desk chairs or parents saying they’re logging off early for a child’s baseball game.’

Overall ranking: #10
Name: TimeXtender
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
TimeXtending purpose and philosophies all the way through to their organizational core.

 ‘The world is complex, dynamic, and ever-changing. That’s why TimeXtender takes a fresh look at the world – every day and is not afraid of being different, rethinking normal, and taking different paths.

Throughout TimeXtender’s global business, the Xpeople live and breathe our company’s core purpose: “Empowering the world with data, mind, and heart because time matters.” And keeping an eye on our core purpose, we follow our core beliefs of seeking to simplify, automate and execute the things that matter most. Putting first things first is in our DNA. We don’t believe in hierarchy or bureaucracy; we believe in firmly empowering smart people to take ownership of their work.

To see our company’s core purpose through, the Xpeople are committed to Xgoals and KPIs to help all fulfil the core purpose. The Xgoals keep the Xpeople focused on work that matters most and that makes a difference rather than on hamster wheel tasks.

And empowering the world with mind and heart means that the Xpeople use their personal and professional experience and intuition (mind) together with their passion (heart) to make things better and to create win-win-win scenarios: A win for our customers, a win for our partners, and a win for TimeXtender. Because time matters.

The world is changing and all of us at TimeXtender are changing with it. Our company takes great pride in the fact that we are not afraid of being different, rethinking normal and taking new paths.’

Overall ranking: #11
Name: MyDoh (RBC Ventures)
Organisation size: Small
Strongest award element: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Mydoh’s inclusive culture permeates with passion for their people and their purpose.

‘Well, it is no secret at all that finance is a rather uncomfortable and sensitive topic to bring up in any household so that is where our app and our team steps in. We aim to recruit and retain talent from all over Canada, reflecting the diversity of this country and our readiness to change how families talk about money. The diversity of thought and experiences from our leadership cascades all the way down to our entry-level roles, and together we aim to provide both an experience that helps youth from all backgrounds practice financial money management.

In December 2021, 57 per cent of our overall team identified themselves as female and/or genderqueer. Seventy per cent of our team is bilingual and together we cover 12 languages including Mandarin, Hindi, and Portuguese. Seventy per cent of our team was born outside Canada and 37 per cent identified themselves as South Asian, 26 per cent as White/European, 14 per cent as East Asian and 9 per cent as Latin American.

We continuously revise our hiring practices to ensure we have a diverse pool of candidates before moving onto second and third hiring rounds. Our Head of Operations conducts the initial screening for all open roles (except tech) and ensures that first rounds include a variety of professional backgrounds, years of experience (in particular for senior manager roles and above), and gender. Our case study (final rounds) include extended team members (e.g. a designer sitting in a product panel) and invited guests from other parts of RBC Ventures to ensure we consider a variety of perspectives and feedback mechanisms before hiring.’

Overall ranking: #12
Name: Criteo
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Through an inclusive culture of creative collaboration, Criteo are driving towards a sustainable future.

‘We believe the Future is Wide Open when it includes everyone. For us, that means our people, partners, clients, and the consumers they serve.

As a global technology company, we believe that a diverse and inclusive culture is the cornerstone for driving creative collaboration and sustainable change across the industry.

We are proud that our employees can be themselves at work. Our mission is to sustain our focus on equity, and building stronger diversity through how we hire, develop, reward and retain all talent at Criteo.

We empower our employees to impact the industry, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do, delivering richer experiences for all.

In 2021 we launched our first Inclusion Index – based on cultural questions relating to Belonging, Authenticity, Psychological Safety and Inclusive Leadership. We scored 75 which was benchmarked very high across the external landscape by Glint (our survey provider).

With 42% of Criteo’s being female we have a strong representation globally in the workforce. We also declared full pay parity in March 2021 and continue to sustain this commitment of equity for all. We have a clear focus to shift our technology representation higher from 14% female to closer to the industry benchmark.

We are also increasing our support for learning and awareness for employees through dedicated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training programs:
– Unconscious Bias Training
– Allyship
– Behaviors that drive Belonging
– Understanding Racism
– Inclusive Language Training
– Writing Inclusive Job Advertisements’

Overall ranking: #13
Name: Concentrix
Organisation size: Enterprise
Strongest award element: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
‘Be Seen, Be Heard, Be You’. Concentrix promote diversity with an uncommon, common sense.

‘Diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded in Concentrix’ DNA. Under our community and culture framework, we are equally committed to positively impacting those around us and contributing to the broader communities in which we operate.

Every day, we celebrate the diversity of our staff by fostering an environment that welcomes and respects every individual so they can grow to be the best version of themselves possible.

In 2020, we launched our Be Seen, Be Heard, Be You campaign, which allows staff to voluntarily share aspects of their identity. To date, over 50,000 staff have self-identified.

Our Staff Resource Groups (SRGs) are voluntary, staff-led groups that help ensure our people’s voices are heard. They help our people connect, spread awareness about important causes, and improve the diversity and inclusivity of our workplace. Currently, our SRGs are Pride, Ability (Persons with Disabilities), the Network of Women, and the Black Professionals Network. And while they each highlight different populations, they all serve to amplify historically marginalized voices to educate others and promote inclusivity.

Since launching in early 2021, over 11,000 staff have completed our comprehensive DEI training, which is offered in 10 languages. In 2021, we also launched Prism, a customized virtual diversity leadership journey designed to help senior-level, diverse staff be ready to move into higher impact, higher visibility assignments. To date, 40 underrepresented staff have completed the four-month virtual leadership program for the next step in their career journey.’

Overall ranking: #14
Name: CooperCompanies
Organisation size: Enterprise
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Not a dry eye in the house: CooperCompanies have a visionary approach to personalised client care.

‘At CooperCompanies, our mission to improve lives starts with our employees. That’s because our mission is not just business, it’s deeply personal. Our employees (and their families) experience the same medical conditions we solve for every day, from near- and far-sightedness to fertility challenges.

You might say that our workforce provides a perpetual focus group on patient experiences. That’s true; yet it’s deeper than that. We’ve travelled the same road. We feel what they feel. And that guides us toward our vision and purpose. We seek input from everyone, not just our specialists, to help develop products that align with our purpose. The result is a mix of novel ideas, big and small. Take our Biofinity Energys® line, for instance. It was created in response to digital lifestyles. Staring at screens for most of the day increases eye strain. Knowing first-hand how daily device use affects vision, our researchers created a lens that reduces stress on the eye muscles you use to focus and retains moisture so your eyes feel less dry because you blink less often when viewing screens. This was an idea that bubbled up from our workforce.

Our efforts to help our employees feel connected to and have a chance to contribute to our purpose is reflected in our latest employee engagement survey, where 75% of employees strongly agreed that their job has value.’

Overall ranking: #14
Name: Breaktime Media
Organisation size: Small
Strongest award element: Wellbeing

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Breaktime Media has transformed overall happiness within their organization with an admirable approach to people over profits.

‘Without our people, Breaktime Media would not be the company that it is, so the overall wellbeing of our people is at the forefront of our company’s strategy. One of our objectives and key results for the year is to become one of the best places to work. To accomplish this, we are focused on reinvesting our profits back into the wellbeing and growth of our employees with a package of benefits to support the mental and physical health of our team, including:

– Flexible work location & schedule.

– After one year of full-time employment, employees are eligible for the following paternity leave: Birth Parent: Fourteen (14) weeks at 100% pay; Non-Birth Parent: Six (6) weeks off at 100% pay – both can be used over 12 months.

– We love pets! We want our employees to spend time to get acclimated when they bring home a new fur baby, so we allow new dog and cat owners to take up to three days off to spend time with their new pet.

– Holidays: Breaktime recognizes 13 holidays and includes 4 half-days in addition to those holidays for a total of 15 days off. We have also implemented Summer Half-Days.

– Vacation Reimbursement: To further encourage our team to use their vacation time, employees can expense up to $300/year for vacation-related expenses including travel, lodging, food, and activities.

– Work From Home Stipend: Of up to $200 each year to buy any office-related items they need to make their home office a comfortable place to work.

In the first quarter of this year, we have already increased our overall company happiness score from an average of 7.98 in 2021 to 8.68 on a 10 point scale!’

Overall ranking: #15
Name: Union Pacific
Organisation size: Enterprise
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
‘Serve, Grow, Win’. Union Pacific are fostering strong internal connections, in order to provide better transportation connections across the U.S.

‘Union Pacific’s overall corporate strategy is Serve, Grow, Win – Together. For 160 years, Union Pacific has provided logistics solutions, transporting goods and connecting 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country. We are a critical link in the global supply chain – and one of America’s most recognized companies.

While the work we do Building America remains steadfast, Union Pacific is evolving the way we think about our corporate strategy. We are dedicated to growing with new and existing customers by providing innovative supply chain solutions. The Union Pacific Human Capital strategy is rooted in:

Our People. Our award-winning, multigenerational workforce includes talented people from all walks of life, in many stages of life. Made up of management and craft professionals, we are focused on attracting, retaining and developing talent across our entire system.

Our Culture. At Union Pacific, the How Matters – safety and high ethical standards ensure the decisions we make and actions we take protect our employees, communities and customers.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We can’t achieve our goals without a talented, engaged and diverse workforce. Union Pacific creates an inclusive workplace for its diverse workforce, which enhances our ability to execute on the company’s vision and strategy.

The Employee Journey. From recruitment to retirement and milestones in between, we are relentlessly focused on supporting and engaging employees throughout their Union Pacific journey. It is imperative we invest in our employees with meaningful benefit offerings, development experiences and career opportunities.

Together, we create and inspire an engaged workforce ready to serve our key stakeholders in order to gain a competitive advantage.’

Overall ranking: #15
Name: Jobber
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Experience

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
‘Jobber’s commitment to continuous education allows employees of all different backgrounds to advance their career paths.’

‘Feeling empowered to innovate, contribute new ideas and stretch beyond your current role is rooted in having a workplace that actively fosters learning and development. Jobber allows employees to pursue career paths that wouldn’t be possible with other companies through lateral career movement, which brings new perspectives that can disrupt the status quo. Two full-time career coaches and L&D department provide ongoing resources that enable employees to align their growth with the areas of the company that fits their core interests, stretching into new departments or creating hybrid roles that foster innovation. Accounting for multiple and new viewpoints is very important at Jobber. As such, innovation is also inspired through cross-functional teamwork. Initiative leaders within the company are tasked with identifying “company bets” (goals and objectives to meet business goals) and work alongside individuals from various departments to execute on these bets.

Having strong mechanisms and programs to foster career growth and learning within an organization is also key to promoting diversity within, not only Jobber but industries as a whole. Jobber’s commitment to continuous education allows employees of all different backgrounds to advance their career paths. Lateral mobility within a company also creates opportunity for employees to develop skills and obtain roles that their resume may not indicate a fit for – an antiquated way of thinking.

Additionally, Jobber believes the recognition is a significant driver for the company and partnered with a third-party company to allow for peer-to-peer, peer-to-manager, and company-to-employee recognition using both monetary and non-monetary rewards. The program has had a significant impact, with 97% engagement in the system YTD.’

Overall ranking: #16
Name: ISAAC Instruments
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Wellbeing

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Bright lights, comfort agents and neuroscience – ISAAC Instruments inventive investment in employee wellness shines.

‘Colleagues’ well-being is of daily concern to ISAAC. For us, this means providing colleagues with all that is needed to best support the physical, mental, financial and relational health perspectives of their lives. In practice, this comes across in various ways. For instance:

– Having a colleague acting in a full-time role, as a comfort agent, making sure that everyone is safe, sound and comfortable in their workspace.

– Having a new facility built in 2019 that provides bright light and installations for us to play and keep fit, including a full-size gymnasium and fitness equipment, a beach volleyball court outside (or skating ring in the winter), mindfulness/yoga space, pool and ping-pong tables, an outside terrace with a BBQ and a vegetable garden.

– Providing flexible schedules, even more so with the pandemic, to allow for an optimal personal and work life balance.

– Offering an expanded modular group insurance coverage, adding in the Short-Term Disability coverage, and increasing ISAAC’s contribution to 70%.

– Offering access to SPARKX5, an application based on positive psychology and neuroscience to improve the colleagues’ well-being, micro-habits and fulfilment in 5 key life areas to help them in positively retraining their brains and contribute to their better being as well as improved collaboration and creativity among teams.

– Paying attention to the colleagues’ lives challenges that may come from time to time, sometimes coming in to support them where possible through additional paid time allocations or financial support.

– Not limiting well-being solely to ISAACians but stretching it to support through donation matches, environmental and societal issues at stake that matter to our colleagues.’

Overall ranking: #17
Name: Arity
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Wellbeing

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Arity have taken more than a million steps to show their employees how much they care about them as human beings.

‘If we’ve learned anything in the last two years, it’s that the world continues to change and will continue to change. We recognize now more than ever that we must prioritize employee wellbeing with programs that provide support for physical, mental, and financial health. We tailor programs specifically to the needs of our employees and ensure that they know, above all we care about them as human beings.

From our annual step challenges (one team got over 1M steps this year!) to our Thrive Book Club and Peloton Chats, our employees are encouraged to think about wellbeing throughout their workdays too. We offer meditation and yoga sessions on a weekly basis and encourage employees to integrate wellbeing breaks into their meetings and throughout their day.

We also provide all our employees with a monthly newsletter that focuses solely on wellbeing. It includes things like upcoming wellbeing events, team bonding ideas, opportunities to take part in various physical, financial, and even sleep challenges. To encourage participation, we sponsored a wellbeing bingo game where teams could play together and get points for the wellbeing activities they completed at home. We consistently share resources that our employees can use when they need extra support including counselling sessions for not only themselves but for their family members as well.

At Arity, our goal is to have various wellbeing offerings that employees can take advantage of based on individual needs. We support our employees’ wellbeing in and out of work, and we are dedicated to contributing positively to our employees’ lives through our well-being offerings.’

Overall ranking: #18
Name: Everise
Organisation size: Enterprise
Strongest award element: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
With 68 nationalities represented and Everising, Everise have become a well-deserving, award-winning employer of choice.

‘Everise is proud to represent and employ 68 nationalities around the world and our strategic focus on diversity has led to award-winning results. Some of our accomplishments include:

– In the U.S.,
– 45% of our leadership is women
– 11% of our employee population is mature age
– 3.3% of our employee population are people with disabilities
– We eradicated gender pay gaps that did exist back in 2018.
– We have an industry-leading 4.7/5 rating on the employee review site, Glassdoor. In comparison, the average company in the U.S. has a 3.5 rating.

Everise is an employer of choice, winning multiple awards. We are most recently known for winning premier award competitions such as The American Business Award’s Company of the Year, HR Asia’s Best Place to Work for three years in a row, and Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion from the H.R. Excellence Awards.

We believe that great companies revolve around great people. Our award-winning culture attracts a diverse range of people that are the best at what they do. That’s why we call our people “Champions.”

Defined as an individual’s preferences and aspirations, Everise actively hires based on a person’s psychographics, rather than their demographics, which means the people we attract are the right fit, based on their attitudes and aspirations, which aligns with the realities of working remotely. It also helps us with employee diversification and retention.’

Overall ranking: #19
Name: American Advisors Group
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
AAG commitment to inclusivity and diversity is a shining example of ‘Better Together’.

 ‘Last year, we launched ‘One AAG | Better Together,’ an internal focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to provide a space where diverse perspectives, cultures, and values are highlighted, appreciated, and celebrated. One AAG invites employees to share their real stories and unique experiences through an internal email campaign, Inside AAG: Our Stories, and open panel discussions that we hope help us celebrate our differences and our common interests. Our first event that kicked off One AAG’s launch was our first-ever open panel discussion to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Employees had an opportunity to hear from three colleagues, including an executive, on their experiences, hopes, and fears as members of the LGBTQ+ community and answered questions asked by attendees.

This month, we continued building off our successful Pride Panel and hosted our second panel celebrating Women in Leadership. We heard from three female leaders around the organization, including one executive, about their experiences working in leadership and how they’ve maintained confidence throughout their career. We had great participation in the audience, and our panelists were very forthcoming with advice to questions about how we all can be more supportive to bring more women to the table. With two successful panels under our belt, we’re hopeful to continue these efforts to bring more attention to the many perspectives and cultures among us.’

Overall ranking: #20
Name: Weave
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
With a thread of inspiration that connects the entire organization, Weave are creating a tight-knit, inclusive culture of togetherness.

‘Our CEO, Roy Banks, understands that effective leadership means putting people first. As the only Black CEO of a Utah Tech Unicorn, he understands what it feels like to be the only BIPOC in a room or on a team. He’s faced racism and discrimination throughout his career and understands how hurtful it can be and the power of speaking up.

Roy understands the influence his leadership has on the people of Weave and its culture. When he is in the office, he will spend the first 30 minutes waiting in the lobby to talk with people walking in and out of the building. As a way to empathize with Weavers, Roy will send out emails to the entire company highlighting important dates, holidays, or topics.

Last Juneteenth he sent an email talking about his familial ties to this holiday and the significance of the holiday. He shared his desire to make Weave a safe place where people can get personal and vulnerable with one another and also recognize the beauty of diversity and respect.

Roy is an open book about his life, from his time in the Navy to his mental health journey. His openness with his mental health journey is one of the ways he helps destigmatize therapy and talking about mental health, especially among male BIPOC. Roy has set the precedent at Weave that all people leaders should be invested in the people at Weave and value their opinions. This is evident by his choice to have an open-door policy. Roy wants to hear from everyone and is willing to actively listen to them. This policy has rippled down to all people leaders and has resulted in better listening and a more people-centered culture.’

Overall ranking: #20
Name: Hotspex
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Communication

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Hotspex has a pervading attitude of gratitude cascading from the top.  

‘As a growing organization, we have many channels we utilize to effectively communicate with our many teams. One of the staff favorites is our Monday morning All Hands Meeting, where we gather as a team (often 60-70 of us) and hear the top line news of the week such as new hires joining the team, contests being run, events of the week, and announcements from the executive team. We begin each of these meetings with praise, where anyone of any level can praise each other for their hard work, dedication, or clutch move from the past week. We end the meeting each week with gratitude practice; the simple act of thinking about what you are grateful for in this moment. We have heard many things that people are grateful for, such as their partners, their families, their neighbors or even their pets. This added layer of humanity is critical to us learning the impact we can have on their individual/personal and professional success.

The most effective way we have found to communicate with our people and truly hear their voices is through ESAT surveys. The survey consists of many questions on many topics ranging from whether they feel supported in their work, gathering feedback on technology they use, or what they want the next social event to be. When we receive all this different feedback, we meet weekly as an Executive team to address, strategize and report back to our staff at Town Halls with how we plan action their ideas and improvements via our corporate objectives, i.e. OKRs.’

Overall ranking: #21
Name: Bitwise Industries
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
A human first approach that is proving to be more than just a little Bitwise.

‘Bitwise Industries puts humans first — creating a supportive and innovative workplace culture that is implemented within all facets of the company. Its mission is to train a workforce from diverse individuals historically left out of the technology industry to transform lives and impact communities. This culture of inclusivity extends from the work that is done internally to the work done with some of the most overlooked, underserved communities.

Bitwise is committed to being a safe and open place for all including women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+. This starts at the top of their leaderships with co-founders and co-CEOs Irma Olguin Jr. and Jake Soberal. Irma, a Latinx, openly gay woman from a family of farm workers, is committed to making her journey into tech more accessible for people with similar backgrounds. Jake, a descendant of Latin immigrants, has leveraged his own privilege toward supporting communities who are often overlooked. Together, they are a dynamic duo in advocacy and allyship for their company and the people and communities they serve. Their leadership inspires the people they lead to uplift and empower others.

Bitwise’s C-suite and board of directors are a diverse group in race, gender and sexuality. The company is visibly and proudly led by Black and Brown, female, non-binary, and allied leaders. Leadership encourages an inclusive environment that doesn’t shy away from differences but embraces them. This fosters an openness to innovation and creativity when addressing issues within the company or as part of their business and community work.’

Overall ranking: #22
Name: Globant
Organisation size: Enterprise
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Globant’s deeply ingrained ‘Be Kind’ initiative transcends their organization.

‘The voices of leadership at Globant, in both North America and worldwide, speak up frequently via internal emails, Slack, social media and in other public venues to voice their support for Globers, belief in Globant’s culture, and appreciation for the work Globant employees do every day. Globant’s “Be Kind” company initiative, which spans programs and commitments across four categories – Be Kind to Yourself, Be Kind to Your Peers, Be Kind to the Planet, and Be Kind to Humanity – is an essential aspect of Globant’s culture, because it is promoted heavily by company leadership.

Leadership is outspoken about balancing Globers’ hard work, innovation and creativity with enjoyment of their lives outside of work and maintaining health and happiness.

One way leadership does this is through support for employee benefits. From health and wellness to financial benefits, Globant leadership goes above and beyond to provide its employees with the best, from all-inclusive PPO plans to virtual yoga classes during work hours to paid mindfulness apps to monthly wellness stipends.

Recently, Globant launched a partnership with Carrot, which provides up to $10,000 in lifetime benefits related to fertility and parenthood for Globers of all genders. Globant also recently began offering all employees a “Be Kind to Yourself Day,” which allows Globant employees to take a dedicated paid day off to rest and recharge around their annual work anniversary. Globant leadership shows their appreciation for Globers through both words and actions.’

Overall ranking: #23
Name: Broadvoice
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
‘Broadvoice’s DEI Council is committed to representing and reflecting the unique experiences, perspectives and viewpoints of our people, partners, and the communities we serve.’

‘We recognize that there are inequalities and racial injustices that still exist within our country. In efforts to foster a diverse team and cultivate an inclusive workplace environment where people of all backgrounds can thrive, we started an internal initiative called the DEI Council in 2021. The Council is comprised of a voluntary committee of Broadvoice employees from various parts of the organization. Broadvoice’s DEI Council is committed to representing and reflecting the unique experiences, perspectives and viewpoints of our people, partners, and the communities we serve. We strive to encourage diversity, achieve equity, and foster inclusion for all. This empowers us to reach our full potential, fueling innovation and connection with employees, including our customers and the communities we serve, regardless of race, color, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, or ethnicity origin.

Since its formation, some council accomplishments and activities include but are not limited to:

– Guest speakers on the topics of Addressing Asian Hate, Pride, and Representation in the Media

– Creation of DEI Employee Resource page as a one-stop center for DEI resources and requests

– Hosted Inclusion Events such as Drag Bingo, and Let’s Talk – Queer Stories on Screen

– Hosted 2 Learning Journey Challenges for all employees to participate in. The challenge is to read, watch, or listen to a predetermined number of pieces of DEI content for 1 week and share feedback regarding what was learned.

– Creation of Awareness Statements regarding George Floyd, Suicide Prevention, Black History, Women’s History, Pride, Mental Health, Juneteenth, Stop Asian Hate, etc.

– Disability Awareness Inclusion Challenge: For every team member who completed the pledge and training course, the Council donated to the Special Olympics.’

Overall ranking: #24
Name: Coffrages Synergy Formwork
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Communication

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Coffrages Synergy Formwork have leveraged modern societal habits into an opportunity for greater purpose and connection.

‘Sabrina Blain, our HR director, routinely visits construction sites to make sure the workers are happy and to collect any suggestions, answer any questions or just to have a chat. In 2019, during one of those tours, she took notice that close to 95% of the people were on their phones and not exchanging with each other. An inevitable reality in our day and age, especially since our age range is below 40. So instead of fighting it, Synergy embraced it by creating its very own app. An app that offers a sense of belonging all the while providing useful information, self-improvement opportunities and an accessible means of communication.

With 1500 employees in three different regions, communication used to be an issue but not anymore. Here are a few of the features available to every member of the Synergy Family:

– Important documents such as accounting files (password protected), competency cards, etc.
– Work schedule approbations
– Address book
– Customized profiles
– Instant messaging
– Link to the Synergy online boutique
– Social media styled news feed
– Over 500 formative videos
– Quizzes that earn you points

To this day, we are the only Quebec company in our field to possess such an innovative tool. A tool we proudly built inhouse with our IT team, which includes 2 full time programmers. This permits us to constantly update and perfect the app to insure the best communication available.’

Overall ranking: #25
Name: Anthony TriWest Healthcare Alliance
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
TriWest Healthcare Alliance has cultivated an empathetic community dedicated to serve those who served. 

‘TriWest Healthcare Alliance’s one sole purpose is to serve the health care needs of our nation’s Veterans and military community. We consider that our highest privilege. As one of the only private-sector partners of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), our only line of business is to serve Veterans by building a network of community health care providers to treat the health care needs of our nation’s heroes.

TriWest employs many Veterans and military family members at every level of the company who understand the military culture first-hand, so the work we do has a personal meaning. We’re not just caring for customers, we’re caring for the people in our lives, too. For all TriWest employees, ours is a culture of honor, respect, service, and one that is mission-driven: Since 1996, TriWest has been On a Mission to Serve®.

In addition, TriWest focuses on giving time and resources to Veteran-centric organizations and community events, such as the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and others. Each year the company proudly sponsors and participates in Veterans Day parades around the region in cities where we have offices. Within TriWest is a Veteran Resource Group as well as a philanthropic arm that supports non-profit organizations doing good work for the Veteran and military communities through donations of both volunteer time and funds.

TriWest is fully committed to ongoing recruiting, hiring, and retaining Veteran employees.’

Overall ranking: #26
Name: Royal Ambulance
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Royal Ambulance has cultivated an energetic, inclusive culture and diverse community to be proud of.

‘As a young person, when you look at the leadership team at Royal, you see people from all different backgrounds, with completely different stories, who worked hard to elevate themselves into their current roles. This is one of the many reasons Royal is capable of fostering an inclusive culture.

We have fundamental teams like our DEI team to oversee ongoing progress as we work to remove barriers for female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ team members. And our leadership team is representative of the people we serve: Our Founder and CEO is a first generation American from Ukraine, our COO is Afghani, our CCO and Head of HR are women, our Head of Recruitment and Customer Success are both members of the LGBTQ+ community, and our head of payroll is Latina.

One of the system problems that we’re actively looking to solve is the number of women entering the field of EMS. Right now, nearly 37% of EMS is female. Our DEI team is staring down this problem to make Royal more attractive for women as we usher in the next generation of healthcare leaders.’

Overall ranking: #27
Name: Swift
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Swift insist on an inclusive community and benefit from a diverse array of visionary talent as a result.

‘At SWIFT, we foster a culture where people of all backgrounds can feel confident to bring their whole selves to work, feel included and know that their unique talents and viewpoints are respected and supported. We are focused on empowering our people to contribute fully to SWIFT’s vision and goals.

Our DE&I strategy is led from the very top of the organisation and has five pillars of focus: gender, disability, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation. Through a range of strategies and initiatives, we work hard to ensure SWIFT is inclusive for everyone.

In 2021 we launched the Global Mentor Programme, which aims to support groups such as women, ethnically underrepresented groups and the LGBTQ+ community develop their careers, manage change and find the ideal work-life balance. We have also rolled out Inclusive Leadership training to all our managers at SWIFT to ensure that our team culture maximises the benefits of our diverse workforce. All our people managers take unconscious bias training so that our inherent biases are understood and avoided, and we ensure that managers have the right interview training to recruit from the widest talent pool available. This is not only beneficial for our people, but also supports our business strategy.

In 2021, we also launched our Gender Equality Network. The network will identify critical issues and prioritise actions internally that will help us to achieve our vision for everyone to work in a safe, equal and inclusive environment, have equal access to resources and opportunities and be treated with dignity, respect and fairness.’

Overall ranking: #28
Name: Lexum
Organisation size: Small
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Lexum strive to maintain their community through this dynamic new world of work.

‘Lexum has been working fully remotely for the last two years. Our employees are all provided with the required hardware, an allocation for at-home office furniture and supplies, as well as an allocation covering a portion of their high-speed internet connectivity charges. We expect a large portion of our staff to continue remote working once the sanitary restrictions are lifted.

Lexum also has a flexible working hours policy granting staff some flexibility with the setup of their own schedule. Employees must be available for meetings and collaboration between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM from Monday to Thursday but are free to complete the remaining hours at the time of their choosing (when no external factors come into play, restrictions apply for the support and sales teams). This policy has allowed the company to meet a variety of requests for accommodations, making it possible for everyone to contribute at the time they feel the most productive.

Each employee also benefits from an annual personal training allocation. This amount can be spent on any courses, program, webinar, or conference, subject to approval from the team head. This allocation accrues over the year, allowing even the most junior team members to save for more expensive events. For example, it has been used by editorial staff to attend IT classes, for second language lessons, and by IT staff to attend live and virtual technical conferences. Three of our software developers are currently leveraging it to jointly attend an online course on artificial intelligence from Stanford University.

But the most empowering aspect of working at Lexum probably results from the prevailing conviviality and collaborative work culture. Instead of percolating from the top, most solutions are devised by the teams responsible for implementing them.’

Overall ranking: #28
Name: Workhuman
Organisation size: Large
Special recognition: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Workhuman celebrate life’s momentous occasions in order to foster a culture of belonging within their team.

‘Workhuman exists to make work more human for every person on the planet. We do this by helping organizations foster human connection and gain the proactive insights necessary to transform and lead a more connected, human-centered workplace, beginning with our own. We accomplish this through the Workhuman Cloud, a suite of products consisting of award-winning employee recognition and continuous performance development solutions that engage employees and build a more human workplace. Workhuman Cloud empowers employees, managers, and business leaders to:
• Listen to their people using our pulse survey tool, Moodtracker, which helps HR understand how people are really feeling, uncover organizational issues, and take actionable steps to create a culture of excellence.
• Thank and reward with employee recognition, called Social Recognition, to create deeper team bonds, maximize engagement, drive performance, and empower humans to do the best work on their lives.
• Talk, give, and receive feedback, develop talent, and inspire great work with Conversations, Workhuman’s continuous performance development solution.
• Celebrate life’s momentous occasions –inside and outside of work –with your work family for a sense of belonging and a celebration of the whole human utilizing Life Events, Service Milestones, and Community Celebrations.

We are our own biggest customer and we leverage our entire suite of solutions to build up our own company culture. Taking the time to say thank you, to celebrate special life moments, and to have meaningful conversations is a part of our everyday work environment.

Workhuman’s culture thrives off human connection, and in a disconnected world, having solutions that keep Workhuman the tight knit (and rapidly growing!) organization that it is keeps employees moving the needle and completing the best work of our lives.’

Overall ranking: #29
Name: Pitchbook
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Wellbeing

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
PitchBook endeavour to evolve with the world of work to maintain their place as the best place to work for their people.

‘At PitchBook, company culture and employee wellbeing are some of our highest priorities. Even while working remotely or in our new hybrid work model, our team works hard to foster opportunities and events for employees to feel connected.

The last two years were unlike any other due to the global pandemic, but like the value states, PitchBook employees embraced and drove change by adapting strategies and routines to keep the organization a best place to work.

In 2021, PitchBook hosted over 150+ employee engagement events, primarily virtually and dedicated ample resources towards employee engagement and culture initiatives. These events included inspirational guest speakers, financial education sessions, department lunch and learns, spirit weeks and mindfulness trainings, among others.

Employees have even taken to hosting their own sessions for the company like Zoom yoga classes and plant propagation workshops.

When the pandemic kept us from celebrating the holidays in person, PitchBook held a companywide cooking class by a local Seattle celebrity chief Ethan Stowell. Over 450 employees participated in the event and rallied to raise over $14,000 through 276 donations for United Way. Although the pandemic disrupted how PitchBook normally operated, one bright spot was how working remotely allowed each office location around the world (Seattle, New York, San Francisco, London and Hong Kong) to become truly interconnected. PitchBook continues to explore opportunities to strengthen this.

Overall ranking: #30
Name: Skai
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Skai’s leaders initiate empathetic communication policies, and encourage accountability as an antidote internal barriers.

‘Skai attracts leaders who are approachable, relatable and caring, in addition to the hard skills and functional experience they bring to the company. Each executive is closely tied to their team’s day-to-day and available to remove obstacles, set strategy, nurture the team and take accountability for outcomes. Empathetic communication fosters connection between managers and their direct reports, which creates helpful context for pushing through obstacles or difficult conversations.

Skai’s CEO, Yoav Izhar-Prato, spends much of his time outside of work volunteering. Early in the pandemic, Yoav realized that among those most isolated were the elderly who lived in nursing homes in Israel. Without easy access to or familiarity with virtual conferencing, they were going longer periods of time without interacting with loved ones. Yoav started a grassroots volunteer effort to build portable Zoom devices from recycled materials and discarded technology in order to bring virtual conferencing to seniors in facilities. When the company needed new logo signage in-office, Yoav worked with a charitable organization in Israel devoted to vocational support and training for young people with special needs in order to salvage wood from a newly deceased, 500-year old olive tree in the Jerusalem forest. And when there were difficult, early-pandemic choices to be made around layoffs in order to save overhead, Yoav encouraged leadership to save jobs and instead implement a universal, temporary pay cut for all employees — including the executive team — in order to minimize the human impact on families. A leader by example in all ways, Yoav sets to inspire Skai from the top down.’

Overall ranking: #30
Name: Diligent Corporation
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
An outlying organization demonstrating a Diligent culture of ‘challenge, change and excitement’

‘Internally, Diligent’s team leads with purpose through a variety of initiatives, such as the Diligent Change Agents program and its Employee Resource Groups (ERG).

This feeds our culture of challenge, change, and excitement. We challenge each other to go further. We challenge businesses to lead with purpose. We use change as a catalyst for innovation, and we’re excited about the monumental opportunity ahead of us. We are building something that never existed before, and we seek solutions many could never imagine. At Diligent, we change the way leaders change the world.

Over the course of 2021 and 2022, we spoke with over 90 employees, and all agreed that the ability to make real change in the world through our solutions is what motivates and excites them. And while the challenge of doing something that’s never been done before can be daunting, the collective impact, support, guidance, and personal growth creates a deep sense of fulfillment.

To sustain that growth, Diligent provides a competitive and ever-growing list of employee programs, including health and wellness programs, leadership and role-specific training, career pathing and initiatives like Change Agents and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). As a purpose-led organization, we aim to provide the tools and capabilities for our employees to keep pace with change — both at Diligent and in their own lives. We want them to be connected, celebrated, and supported.’

Overall ranking: #31
Name: Jerry
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Jerry utilise and implement employee feedback for business betterment.

‘At Jerry, we believe in consistent and personal communication. This comes in many forms. Like many companies, our primary platform for communicating is Slack, and it is deeply embedded in our culture. So much so that one of our executive team members, Josh Damico, VP of Insurance Operations, says the first thing he teaches a new employee is how to send a GIF on Slack. This isn’t an exaggeration. In a remote-first environment, having a primary communication platform that not only provides an organized and collaborative environment, but also one that encourages socialization is essential. Additionally, we communicate with employees through weekly newsletters, 1:1s with managers, daily or weekly speciality team meetings, weekly company-wide team meetings and regular communications from our CEO.

We also rely heavily on transparency, one of our company values. That applies to culture-building through feedback, delivery and acceptance. Throughout the company, we view feedback as a gift. Positive, neutral or negative, whatever it is, letting someone know your point of view on the impact, approach, and quality of their work and how they embrace the company culture is central to keeping them feeling connected. One of the most basic examples of this is through our quarterly reviews. This cadence is more frequent than most companies. We do this for a reason. It ensures feedback doesn’t stew and that there are no surprises for teams or individuals. In most cases, feedback is delivered on the spot and quarterly reviews are more of a progress check-in to address learnings and roadblocks.’

Overall ranking: #32
Name: Lexipol
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Experience

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Lexipol display inspiring humanity with their passionate commitment to employee development and education.

‘One of Lexipol’s core values is “Empower.” We believe success is driven from a culture of trust, where team members are empowered to make decisions and bring forward ambitious ideas to improve products and processes. We understand our employees know our solutions, our customers and our operations best. When our employees are empowered to make decisions, spearhead initiatives and foster growth, our business best fulfills its mission.

Our company culture doesn’t operate from a “stay in your lane” mindset; rather, we welcome ideas for improvement and innovation across disciplines and share these ideas in regular company communications. When employees feel empowered to bring their ideas to the table, Lexipol’s other core values are lived out through cross-team collaboration and a better ability to serve each other and our customers. Lexipol Link serves as a vital tool to help employees find and connect with the right team members to bring their ideas to fruition.

Lexipol seeks to help employees grow, develop and advance in their careers through training and continued learning opportunities. We provide a variety of opportunities through internal networks and outside resources to help our employees reach new heights—including a mentorship program, partial tuition reimbursement, access to LinkedIn Learning, a speaker’s club to support public speaking improvement, and leadership development courses led by experts within our organization. We are passionate about helping our employees reach their full potential, even if that eventually leads them to new endeavours.’

Overall ranking: #32
Name: POD Marketing, Inc.
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…

‘Our workplace puts inclusivity above all else, everyone should feel like they can be themselves without judgment. We never want someone to feel like they have to hide a part of themselves or have to be less of themselves to fit in. Our interview process is designed to reduce the risk of unconscious bias, as a result, we are constantly building a team with diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

Offering accessibility for all of our clients which includes ensuring our website are accessible for varying degrees of disabilities. Specifically, we focus on visual impairment and physical impairment so websites can be used on a varying degree of devices. Rather than assuming we could empathize and solve their problems we hired an advisor with a visual impairment to speak at a town hall meeting with our entire staff and demonstrate his online experience.

A huge part of our inclusion strategy is to ensure that no matter the gender every employee has the opportunity to progress and climb the ladder. 65% of PodMarketing employees identify as female and 58% of our leadership team identify as female. Gender does not play a role in the seat you will sit in with PodMarketing. We have hired women on mat leave and waited for them to start and we have promoted women while on mat leave because they are the right person for the job.’

Overall ranking: #33
Name: Allied Electronics & Automation
Organisation size: Large
Special recognition: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Allied Electronics & Automation are harnessing the power of third-party partnerships to improve representation, diversity and overall organizational performance.

‘In 2022, one of our goals is to attract and retain more LGBTQ+ employees, and we are busy introducing measures to make this goal a reality. Allied recently adjusted its employee benefits by adding paid leave for adoptive parents, expanding health insurance coverage to include gender-affirming medical services, and extending benefits eligibility to include domestic partners. We have also adopted inclusive non-discrimination policies in our workplace model and company culture. Additionally, we have added benefits to provide medical coverage for employees who experience infertility and now cover ABA Therapy for Autism as well.

Our hiring practices also reflect our values of fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. We started an initiative around hiring mothers and partnered with the Mom Project in an effort to help them get back into the workforce after having been out of it to raise a family. We see this as an important step towards increasing gender diversity in tech roles and encouraging women in STEM. We work with MyGWork, a global LGBTQ+ job board designed to facilitate this community in joining employers that are diverse and inclusive, as a hiring partner. We also practice blind screenings of new hires and ensure that our hiring managers undergo diversity education prior to the interviewing process.

Our leaders maintain a corporate social responsibility to provide all employees, regardless of race, economic background, physical and mental ability, gender, personal identification, and sexual orientation, with a conducive working environment that champions success and growth.’

Overall ranking: #34
Name: UberFlip
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…

‘When it comes to our culture, we believe that each Uberflipper plays a significant role in driving that purpose; it’s at the heart of everything we do. Our core values are much more than just words slapped up on some wall in the office — they’re tenets we practice daily in our ongoing quest to honor both our customers and each other. Uberflip’s six cultural pillars include:

We are H.U.S.T.L.E.: This is an acronym we cooked up to remind each other that we are a team with Heart, composed of Unique individuals who showcase Skill, are passionate about Technology, possess a Lean “do more with less mentality,” and are driven by an Entrepreneurial spirit.

Culture, Then Product, Then Revenue: At Uberflip, we take culture seriously. In fact, we place it above everything else.

Communicate Openly and Respectfully: Uberflip is a safe and nurturing place to work.

Create Great Experiences: We’re dead set on delivering fantastic experiences for both our employees and customers and believe the two are intrinsically linked.

L.U.V. the Customer: Let’s face it, you don’t get the opportunity to partner with some of the world’s most innovative companies without taking customer success extremely seriously.

Give Back: We understand that Uberflip is part of a much larger dynamic.

Finally, we realize and respect that our employees are each living their own unique experiences. We welcome and celebrate individuals of all backgrounds, orientations, and identities. We invite our team members to come as they are, knowing that the more inclusive we are, the better the work will be.’

Overall ranking: #34
Name: CarltonOne Engagement 
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Carlton One Engagement fulfil their sustainability promises with result driven action.

‘At CarltonOne, we strive to make work mean more and foster an inspiring sense of purpose. As an employee recognition and rewards company, we understand that emotionally engaged employees are more passionate. As a result, we see higher productivity, deeper creativity, and a stronger sense of loyalty within our own organization, as well as our partner’s. In 2021, Ernst and Young found CarltonOne ranked significantly above the benchmark on overall cultural heath at 81% (benchmark is 73%), a result driven by a highly positive employee perception of our culture. This was in part due to CarltonOne scoring above the benchmark on both workforce motivation and behavioural risk, as well as recording one of the highest positivity scores EY has ever recorded at 100%. On Glassdoor, we have a Culture & Values score of 4.6, which is higher than average for other companies in our industry.

We believe accolades like these come down to our core principles: innovation, collaboration, responsibility, and transparency. Statements like these are easy to make, but we ensure promises made to our employees and partners are followed by action. A great example is our commitment to eco-action in everything we do at CarltonOne. With over 10 million trees funded, we believe that that everyone wins, and “everyone” includes the environment. Result driven action creates change that people can see, which is why we believe we foster such a positive culture at CarltonOne, as our employees can see their work make a difference.’

Overall ranking: #35
Name: XIL Health
Organisation size: Small
Special recognition: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
XIL Health’s inspiring leaders are driving gender parity at the top level of healthcare with progressive programs and policies.

‘XIL Health’s executive team is leading the charge in breaking the glass ceiling in technology. Research from Oliver Wyman shows that although women represent 65% of the healthcare workforce, they only represent 13% of CEO roles and 30% of the C-suite. With an all-female executive team, XIL Health emphasizes the importance of gender equality in the workplace and, specifically, in the typically male-dominated technology and healthcare industries. ​They are consistently involved in mentorship programs within their own community, led by the example of XIL Health CEO and Founder Susan Lang.

The leadership team has not only been recognized for their work in healthtech but also for their work in their communities. Recently, Alexandra Robertson, VP of Client Growth and Innovation at XIL Health, was named an Orlando Business Journal Power Player, and Brittney Tierce, VP of Operations, was selected as a finalist in the L.A. Times Inspirational Women awards. The XIL Health leadership team continues to foster a work environment that recognizes the accomplishments of each employee outside of work, encouraging them to continue giving back to the community. Serving as an example, both on behalf of XIL Health and on an individual level, executives have organized donations for the Salvation Army, NAMI, United Way, Foster & Adoptive Care and more.’

Overall ranking: #36
Name: PepsiCo Beverages North America
Organisation size: Enterprise
Special recognition: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
‘PepsiCo has been successful in driving real progress toward achieving a more inclusive culture.’

 ‘One of PepsiCo’s guiding values in The PepsiCo Way – Raising the Bar on Talent and Diversity – means diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded at the very core of the company’s culture. By cultivating a shared purpose among its employees, PepsiCo has been successful in driving real progress toward achieving a more inclusive culture.

An essential component of PepsiCo’s DE&I commitments is its Racial Equality Journey (REJ). First launched in 2020, PepsiCo has committed to investing more than $570 million over five years as part of this focus on increasing Black and Hispanic representation within the company, leveraging its scale and influence to elevate diverse voices across suppliers and strategic partners, and helping to address systemic barriers while creating economic opportunities for Black and Hispanic Americans.

These ambitious commitments have helped to crystallize PepsiCo’s culture of transparency and accountability, inviting each leader and associate alike along for the journey.

Within PepsiCo’s walls, the company is on track toward achieving 50% women in managerial roles by 2025, and also remains on target to increase Black and Hispanic managerial representation in the U.S. to 10% to mirror workforce availability of the communities where it operates. To ensure D&I is among the core criteria when bringing in the next generation of new talent, the company has also accelerated recruitment at schools and universities with diverse student populations.

A critical next step for building on the progress of the Racial Equality Journey, PepsiCo recently announced the launch of its new Multicultural Business and Equity Development Organization. The new entity is tasked with accelerating efforts to address business inequalities for underserved people and communities, while scaling the company’s existing DE&I efforts more quickly across its entire North America businesses.’

Overall ranking: #37
Name: 4Seasons Transportation
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Belief, positivity and inclusivity are proving to be key ingredients to 4Season Transports ongoing success. 

‘4Seasons is a highly inclusive environment. We’re more than 75% female operated, and the majority of our organization comes from a diverse background.

Every one of our nearly 500 employees – and growing – is committed to transporting students living with disabilities in a safe, calm and compassionate way. We support one another as a community first, filled with caring people who happen to be part of a working family. We come from dozens of countries. We speak more than thirty languages. We wear cowboy hats, saris, turbans and kilts. We believe in positivity and inclusivity, and this is just the 4Seasons way. We have truly created a special and diverse culture we are proud of.

At 4Seasons, we see the ability, talent and skill in every member of our team and believe each individual deserves the same access to opportunities. 4Seasons’ is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability. We are also proud to partner with organizations such as Inclusion Alberta to create jobs for individuals with developmental disabilities.’

Overall ranking: #38
Name: Blue shield of California
Organisation size: Enterprise
Special recognition: Wellbeing

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
From holistic health to financial wellness programs, Blue Shield show genuine compassion for their employees and their dependents.

‘When our employees feel thier best, they are unstoppable. That’s why, throughout the year, we focus on a different lifestyle/health/wellbeing theme each quarter. Each theme is supported and promoted by virtual trainings, digital resources, and online webinars.

In 2021, we offered 70 virtual workshops and events on different topics including financial wellness, mental health, and wellbeing.

We currently offer 50 virtual fitness classes each week and see an average of 6 employees attend each class. Classes range from Yoga, meditation, and stretch breaks to Kickboxing, Zumba, and Tabata.

We offer a digitally based lifestyle medicine and holistic health platform, Wellvolution, that can be personalized to each employee’s individual health goals and preferences. Programs are available to support weight management, reduce stress, prevent diabetes, treat diabetes, and quit smoking.

Our Employee Assistance Program through Magellan Healthcare provides resources 24/7 to help navigate issues related to family, legal, career, finances, mental health and more. We provide 8 covered sessions annually with a licensed counselor to all employees and their dependents, via messaging, phone, video, or in-person.

Brightline provides families with behavioral health care solutions designed specifically for children and teenagers. Blue Shield of California employees who are enrolled in a PPO Medical Plan have access to a range of services including behavior therapy, evaluation and medication support, and speech therapy – all delivered through video visits and Brightline’s digital platform.

We end our workdays at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoons, enabling employees to start the weekend early, rest and refuel. Employees are not expected to “make up” this time during the week. Employees are encouraged to use this time for activities designed to support emotional and physical wellbeing.’

Overall ranking: #39
Name: Couchbase
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Communication

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
With Couchtalks, latte & lead meetings, and their recognition platform, Couchbase never miss an opportunity for engagement.

‘Effective employee communication helps to ensure alignment between management and employees. When you communicate effectively, it creates conditions for employees to feel valued and inspired to contribute to a shared purpose. This results in employees who are happier, productive, engaged and eager to participate in the success of the business.

When we look at the communications programs at Couchbase, we see these common best practices:
Quarterly All-Hands meetings where the strategy, financials and key business initiatives are reviewed and discussed with live Q&A

We host what we call Couchtalks where we engage with internal and external leaders and teams to discuss industry topics, share best practices and learn from others.

We do Any Hands meetings inviting all employees to sessions around different topics.

We have Latte & Lead session for managers globally where we break out things such as goal setting, mid-year reviews and merit work where we focus on the conversations managers have with their employees around aligning the company goals to team and individual goals. In parallel we have Latte & Learn sessions for employees through the year.

Disco is a real-time peer-to-peer recognition tool in Slack to help celebrate when one of us goes above and beyond or lives our core values. Our goal is to build a company culture of appreciation, recognize and celebrate values-driven work, and boost employee engagement.

Overall ranking: #39
Name: Proofed
Organisation size: Small
Special recognition: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
An organization dedicated to future-proofing the careers of its people with an admirable training and progression opportunities.

‘Inspiring confident communication is fundamental to what we do as an organization. Our team comprises of approximately 40 full-time employees, and 750+ contract, gig economy editors. All of our employees and editors are passionate lifelong learners, grammar enthusiasts, and empathetic communicators, who genuinely care about helping our customers improve their writing skills. This enthusiasm is baked into our company culture and our commitment to nurturing everyone’s potential.

 We’re proud to be able to offer consistent, rewarding, and high-paying work to individuals who often struggle to access quality employment, whether due to location, age, physical ability, or gender. To become an editor at Proofed, candidates are asked to complete a training course and achieve over 80% in the final test. This allows anyone, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, or religious or ethnic background the opportunity to become a Proofed editor in as little as 50 hours.

The flexibility of the work—remote, with no minimum/maximum hours per week–makes us a particularly popular choice for women (over 75% of our editors), mothers, those with physical disabilities or chronic health conditions, students, and retirees. Our inclusive hiring policy and equitable operations strategy are reflected all the way up through senior management. Our operations team is 50% female, and many of our team are parents, with our core team (full-time employees) working from 13 different countries. If you’re passionate about writing, grammar, and communication, we’re proud to have you work with us, regardless of background or personal circumstances.’

Overall ranking: #40
Name: Solvvy
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Communication

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
With a dedicated culture club, professional ice breakers and engagement specialists, Solvvy’s resolve has enhanced internal communication. 

‘Communication is absolutely critical for Solvvy and we have invested in fun and creative ways of getting to know our co-workers. Solvvy has someone in the role of Engagement Specialist, who leads our team discussions with icebreakers. By starting meetings and other chats in this way, teams come together with a lighter mood and a better understanding of one another.

Solvvy’s leaders also believe in being available to their employees. Especially since the team is dispersed geographically, it can be difficult for people to find the resources they need when they need them. A key part of leadership is to make sure team members know we are here and accessible to them, and either help clear an obstacle for them or simply point them in the right direction.

Lastly, Solvvy is a tech company and understands the value of good technology in encouraging healthy communication. Solvvy uses Culture Amp to conduct engagement surveys and Slack for collaboration and to build a sense of community. We’ve also created a group internally called The Culture Club, which develops and drives many of these initiatives so they continue to be prioritized even when work is at its busiest.’

Overall ranking: #41
Name: International Well Building Institute
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Wellbeing

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…

Well, well, well-ness.

‘Employee well-being defines all aspects of IWBI’s company policies and management priorities. We adopted a pilot remote work model in 2019 before COVID-19 forced many to work from home. Our leadership set examples by completely unplugging from work and “to vacation like a boss.” We instituted WELL Heard sessions for all employees to voice concerns or suggestions.

Mind is one of the 10 concepts of the WELL Building Standard. We have long invested in the personal health of our team through our #WeAreWell initiative—which includes benefits like weekly community lunches featuring healthy food, sit-stand desks and balance boards, group participation in fitness activities and subsidized fitness memberships. We carried this through as we went remote by providing stipends for acquiring ergonomic furniture for home offices, online fitness classes and stress reduction workshops and access to meditation apps.

Our team also participated in a series of training sessions on mental resilience, hosted in collaboration with Rex Miller, principal and thought leader at MindShift, and Dr. Jeff Jernigan, professional coach and licensed counselor. Teams were also offered the opportunity to participate in smaller, more focused group sessions.

We adopted “Quiet Fridays” to allocate time without meetings for staff to focus on independent work, as well as encourage staff to take time off during the summer months.

In March 2021, IWBI was selected as a winner of the InsideOut Mental Health Awards. This global award celebrates mental health and those organizations and individuals who champion it. IWBI was awarded the Third-Party Influence Award, which was presented to the employer who has best influenced mental health beyond its own walls and to their client base.’

Overall ranking: #42
Name: 2U, Inc.
Organisation size: Large
Special recognition: Inclusion

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
2U, inc to have successfully leveraged their DE&I policies to attract, promote and retain top industry talent. 

‘We are committed to our journey and proud of the meaningful steps we’ve taken towards building a culture of belonging and inclusivity for our communities of employees, partners, and students.
We believe an equitable and inclusive environment with diverse teams produces more creative solutions and results in better outcomes for our university clients and students. We continue to strive to attract, retain and promote diverse talent at all levels of the organization and we are proud to have a Board and executive team that bring diverse ideas and backgrounds to the table. We have incorporated diversity, equity and inclusion (“DE&I”) into the fabric of our corporate culture.

As of December 31, 2021, over 61% of our global workforce identify as female and 38% identify as male, while approximately 1% of employees chose not to disclose an identification.

We maintain employee resource groups known as Business Resource Networks (“BRNs”) which foster a diverse and inclusive workplace aligned with our mission and business goals and reflect our commitment to create and sustain a diverse workplace. We currently have BRNs representing the following groups and their allies:
Black/African American, Women, LGBTQ+, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latinx, Differently Abled and Parents and Caregivers.’

Overall ranking: #43
Name: Sargento
Organisation size: Large
Special recognition: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
People, pride and progressive policies bring a strong sense of purpose and collaborative success to the Sargento family.

‘At Sargento, we believe that food brings people together, and everyone at our company is considered family, from our employees to our customers, vendors and neighbors.

Family-owned is what we are at our core. We built our business on our founder Leonard Gentine’s belief that in order to succeed, we must hire good people and treat them like family.

We’re passionate about serving our customers the best real food through our innovation, service and quality.

To fulfill our purpose and bring people together through food, we lean on our core values of People, Pride & Progress, and we consider everyone who has a stake in the success of our company part of the Sargento Family. We are guided by 20 principles – including Ethics, Creativity, Innovation, Accountability, Excellence, Community Outreach, Risk-Taking, and Sense of Ownership, among others – under People, Pride & Progress. These principles stem from Leonard’s founding philosophy and were codified in this important framework just before he died in 1996.

Every year, we recognize approximately 25 employees with the prestigious Chairman’s Award who are nominated by their peers and ultimately earn an award for upholding these cultural values. These employees are hailed as shining examples of our culture not just because of the work they do, but also how they treat others when they perform.

We strive to create meaningful, lasting relationships by providing great jobs for our employees so they and their families can thrive; creating innovative products for our customers to make their lives easier.’

Overall ranking: #44
Name: Prevue
Organisation size: Small
Special recognition: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Department leads at Prevue understand, encourage and leverage the power of individuality.

‘Prevue’s flat hierarchy makes it easy for anyone to speak to each other, whether between colleagues, with a manager or even the CEO. Our office operates in a transparent and open layout where doors are never closed. Walking up to someone else’s desk is never considered a burden; in fact, we encourage face-to-face conversations over a Slack message.

As part of Prevue’s core, we believe that every individual approaches work differently in ways they prefer. We developed our Team-Fit reports in 2020 to understand unique communication and work styles. For example, Jamie from our sales team enjoys being in a group setting and has no problem speaking in front of a number of people, whereas Ethan from developing is quieter in nature and prefers expressing himself in one-on-one settings. Both employees are just as effective in their jobs. With the help of our own product, we’ve learned to recognize that just because someone is different from you doesn’t mean they are better or worse. As a team, we try our best to accommodate each other so we can continue to work productively together while avoiding conflicts.

Among everyone, our department heads utilize our team-fit knowledge the most, not just to their own members, but also to other team leads. Every other week, we host catch-up meetings among the heads to discuss progress and share ideas. Keeping everyone on the same page especially during a global pandemic is key. It also gives each department the chance to share their opinions about other teams.’

Overall ranking: #45
Name: Sentinel Technologies, Inc.
Organisation size: Large
Special recognition: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Appreciation inspires success at Sentinel Technologies, Inc.

‘Our leaders guide with enthusiasm and passion that permeates throughout the employee base. They genuinely care about their people and tirelessly create an atmosphere of belonging. They radiate authenticity, treating everyone with dignity and respect. They are also knowledgeable and not afraid to share that knowledge with others, showing humility as they work diligently to connect with employees on all levels.

One manager, specifically, makes a point to call random employees outside his department to check in or congratulate them on a success they recently had. Employees feel valued by making these connections, especially out of the blue. They understand that their hard work is known and appreciated.

Our leaders do an extraordinary job of building camaraderie. Our leaders help guide employees on their career paths with individual and team check-ins and inspire collaboration, which is pivotal in a hybrid workplace. We also offer additional training and certifications, as well as mentoring opportunities.

Our leaders know if you put people in roles where they can leverage their skills and passions, they’ll thrive. To support these efforts, we will be rolling out a talent management platform this year that will inventory all our employees’ skills and knowledge so we can put the right people on the right jobs.’

From the judges:

‘Sentinel Technologies, Inc. have strong ethics and intentions with regards to their people and creating an inspiring workplace with many references to open-door policy and the links between engaged people and productivity.’

Overall ranking: #46
Name: Abstrakt Marketing Group
Organisation size: Medium
Special recognition: Culture

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
Abstrakt Marketing Group have achieved year on year growth by perpetually implementing changes to reflect the needs of their top resource – their people.

‘With a common goal of growth for our clients’ businesses and growth within our team members’ careers, our culture shines in St. Louis and sets us apart from our competitors. People and businesses are attracted to our company because they know that we passionately support the goals of each team member internally and thus produce successful results for every client.

Every decision our leadership makes for the organizations supports the growth of our team members and the growth of our business. We keep our top resource, our people, top of mind in every single decision. As Abstrakt has continued to grow every single year, we have only added and improved elements and resources to support our team and thus expanding and strengthening our company culture. We ask our team members routinely with open lines of communication what matters to them. What are their values? How can we improve as a company? We can then implement the appropriate changes to improve our culture and keep our growing workforce happy, and more importantly, proud to work for Abstrakt. The emphasis of employee engagement is, “do you feel fulfilled in your career at Abstrakt? Do you believe that what you’re doing is important to you?” We want everyone to feel fulfilled, supported, and to experience personal growth at Abstrakt. Our purpose as a company drives our business and our culture towards growth.

Overall ranking: #47
Name: Formlabs
Organisation size: Large
Strongest award element: Wellbeing

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
With holistic health programs, DE&I policies and mentorship opportunities, Formlabs inspire a passionate workplace culture that extend out into the wider community.

‘Our community wellness program, FormWell, aims to take a holistic approach to health – offering programs to promote healthy minds, bodies, relationships, finances, and environment. Examples of previous programs include workshops on workplace ergonomics, getting a good night’s sleep, how to optimize your time to strike a healthy work/life balance, a wide variety of fitness classes, guided journaling prompts, financial literacy sessions, and more.

We believe a healthy workplace is inclusive and diverse, and are committed to making Formlabs a great place for everyone to work. We celebrate diversity, encourage open dialogue about how our differences can make us stronger together, and don’t shy away from opportunities to improve. We have four active Affinity Groups – Latinx, FormParents, Neurodivergent & Disabled, and Women in Engineering – who share resources, host events, and are involved in community outreach programs, to name a few.

Our employees are passionate about what they do, and we’re continually amazed by their commitment to paying it forward. We want members of the Formlabs team to have the opportunity to feel inspired through mentorship opportunities. Most recently, we’ve partnered with Boston Public Schools to bring a 13-week employee-led program to an Electronics course for 11th & 12th grade students. Students have the opportunity to work closely with our products and our people to get hands-on experience with 3D printing and engineering. Our hope is to open doors for the next generation of engineers by developing programs our own employees wish they had earlier in their careers.’

Overall ranking: #48
Name: Grupo Salinas International
Organisation size: Enterprise
Strongest award element: Experience

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
By recognising the importance of continuous improvement, Grupo Salinas International have fostered an innovative culture of collaborative creativity.

‘Empowerment is people being able to express themselves freely.

The first GS Innovation and Continuous Improvement contest was held During 2019 and 2020, with the aim of “Summoning collective knowledge and inducing collaborative creativity”, and thus:

– Find innovative solutions to problems or challenges raised and requested by businesses.
– Detect opportunities for improvement, especially from the front line, and propose solutions.
– Develop innovative habits and spirit in all the Group employees.
– Strengthen in our DNA the Innovation and Continuous Improvement culture, in such a way that it becomes a daily practice at all levels, as well as a reason for recognition from abroad.

The achievements were:

• 304 registered work teams with innovative ideas.
• 1,127 participating employees.
• More than half of the teams led by first line employees; which means, those who have direct contact with our customers.
• 109 recognized projects.
• 1 recognition event for 20 selected projects and teams.
• 11 projects started.
• 3 finished.
• 8 in process.

This is how we seek to create a culture where everyone has a voice to change and improve the way we do things. We believe that this is a way to empower our people for their growth, that of the businesses and that of our customers.’

Overall ranking: #49
Name: 4G Clinical
Organisation size: Medium
Strongest award element: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
With an underlying philosophy of ‘do not do what you are told’, 4G Clinical empower individuals at all levels to challenge the status quo, experiment and make the organisation stronger.

‘4G Clinical was founded and is led by CEO David Kelleher and CTO Ed Tourtellotte. Both individuals have deep, personal connections to 4G Clinical’s mission and the impact clinical trials have on real people. David Kelleher has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for 25 years and Ed Tourtellotte lost his wife and partner to triple negative breast cancer prior to 4G Clinical’s founding.

4G Clinical is truly a mission-driven organization. While this starts at the top with its founders, it doesn’t stop there. All 4G Clinical leaders are dedicated to the mission and also possess humility, curiosity and the ability to “get stuff done.” This combination of qualities, alongside our core value of kindness, inspires employees at all levels by serving as a reminder that their hard work makes a difference.

Additionally, during company meetings and through communications via Slack, 4G Clinical leadership connects our corporate initiatives and successes to the impact this work has on patients. This human-centered approach is the driving force of the 4G Clinical culture.

Beyond our mission, 4G Clinical’s leaders also inspire innovation to come from within the organization. Everyone has a voice to drive improvements, and because of the collaborative nature of our culture, ideas are shared across the organization regardless of level or function. A common company saying is, “Do not do what you are told.” If you have ideas, challenge the status quo, and continue to experiment to make the organization stronger.’

Overall ranking: #50
Name: Guusto
Organisation size: Small
Strongest award element: Leadership

A small insight into this Inspiring Workplace…
With full transparency from business leaders, Guusto encourage employees to take risks and embrace failure in pursuit of innovation.

‘One of the things we value most about our leaders is how they showcase openness, transparency, and vulnerability in all communications with the team.

For example, a recent exercise completed by our leadership team was the creation of ‘user manuals’ for themselves. Each leader created a user manual where they discussed their preferred communication style, what they struggle with, how they like to receive feedback, as well as other personal things about themselves. These user manuals have been shared with all team members and have inspired other team members to create their own manuals in the interest of transparency.

In our weekly all team meetings and other collaborative sessions, our leaders are also quick to own up to challenges and mistakes and will provide information on how they’ve grown for it. This clear ownership allows our team to feel comfortable with taking risks in their own role as they understand that failure can lead to innovation.’