TOP WORKPLACES FRIDAY, NOV. 2,, 2018 Make meetings less scary CHICAGO TRIBUNE ILLUSTRATION TOP-RANKED COMPANIES SALESFORCE F FAST A GROWTH, FOCUS ON COMMUNITY Yes, meetings are too long, too frequent, too boring, too aimless: We explore how to do it right AMERICAN LITHO A OWNERS WITH O OPEN-DOOR P POLICY CASE STAFFERS C FEEL FE SUPPORTED 1 IN HELPING KIDS Panda Express is honored to be recognized as one of the TOP WORKPLACES IN CHICAGO To learn more about how to be part of the Panda family, visit us at www.pandacareers.com Valued Partners. For more than 50 years, Medline has driven healthcare solutions needed for today and tomorrow. More than 19,000 employees around the world share that focus while growing their career at a growing company. Our employees are customer-focused problem solvers. They’re entrepreneurial and big thinkers. As our momentum carries us forward, we have those employees to thank for not only making Medline a top place to work, but a valued partner to our customers. Grow with us. Learn more at medline.com/careers. Medline is a global manufacturer and distributor serving the healthcare industry with medical supplies and clinical solutions that help customers achieve both clinical and financial success. 2018 © 2018 Medline Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Medline is a registered trademark of Medline Industries, Inc. MKT18110580 / 3 2 (Ehitago ?(litihune YEARS IN A ROW Intelligent Medical Objects -?Thank you to our employees for your talent and teamwork in making 2.. NO one of Chicago?s Top Workplaces for the 5th year in a row. WHAT WE '00 qt TOGETHER THAT SETS US APART. We are the market leader in terminology solutions for healthcare. Our innovative solutions for electronic health record systems are used by more than 4,500 hospitals and 500,000 users daily. Our Team?s Guiding Principles . Focus . Balance . Recognition . Transparency . Continuous Learning Growth The job?s rewarding. And so are the bene?ts. - Strong bene?ts package 0 Culture of innovation, excellence, and fun . Casual dress - World class developers, clinicians, code mappers, and terminologists Ready To Develop Your Talent At Our Fast-Growing Global Company? E-lMO.comICareersZO19 M By Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz Chicago Tribune eetings have a reputation — at times deservedly so — as unproductive time-sucks. They’re too long, too frequent, too boring, too aimless, and sometimes so irrelevant that the time feels best spent scrolling through Facebook, or stabbing yourself with a pencil to stay awake. ¶ They are also not going anywhere, so ¶ For the first time, it’s worth exploring how to do them right. the Chicago Tribune’s annual Top Workplaces survey asked employees about the value of the meetings they attend. Unsurprisingly, given the widespread meeting dread, the responses showed there’s room for improvement. Patricia Brown Holmes, a partner at the law firm of Riley Safer Holmes and Cancila, holds a short meeting about teamwork on Sept. 18. She said the firm’s meetings aim to respect people’s time. NUCCIO DINUZZO/CHICAGO TRIBUNE 4 Beating the meeting blues HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH OFFICE GATHERINGS* *OR AT LEAST NOT HATE THEM P R O U D LY P OW E R E D BY OUR PEOPLE OUR SUCCESS IS THE RESULT OF OUR DEDICATED EMPLOYEES Thank you to our people for making us one of Chicago’s Top Workplaces for the fourth consecutive year. Your hard work fuels our ability to deliver innovative power solutions that make a positive and meaningful impact in day-to-day life around the world, and it is your energy that makes us a great place to work. This achievement belongs to you. 2015 2016 2017 2018 www.sargentlundy.com 5 Two-thirds of the 75,500 survey respondents gave positive responses to the statement, “Meetings at this company make good use of my time,” making it among the lowest-ranked aspects of the employee experience, according to Exton, Pa.-based consultancy Energage, which administered the survey across 241 companies. Research elsewhere has found meeting overload to be much more dire. Among senior managers — who on average spend half of their work hours in meetings — 65 percent say meetings keep them from completing their own work, 71 percent say meetings are unproductive and inefficient and 64 percent say they come at the expense of deep thinking, according to researchers writing last year in the Harvard Business Review. Inefficiency is costly. One estimate put the cost of unnecessary meetings at $37 billion per year for U.S. businesses, as most attendees say they spend the time daydreaming or doing other work, according to software company Atlassian. Yet meetings are becoming ever more prevalent. The amount of time employees spend in collaborative activities has grown 50 percent over the past 20 years as complex problems demand multidisciplinary perspectives, a trend that is likely to continue, said Shani Harmon, the Chicago-based co-founder and chief delivery officer of Stop Meeting Like This, a consultancy that helps companies collaborate more efficiently. “There is all of this glamorization of collaboration, but there is not a playbook for how to do it effectively,” she said. “It’s almost like a garden untended.” The good news is that meetings can boost employee happiness rather than hinder it. Some of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces scored highly on holding worthwhile meetings. What are they doing right that many of their peers are not? The overnight crew at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza, one of the top scoring employers on the meetings question, offered some answers. As their shifts ended shortly after sunrise one recent summer morning, the chipper nocturnal employees gathered in the hotel restaurant for a breakfast meeting with General Manager Dale McFarland, who sought their advice on how to improve the downtown hotel. McFarland holds the roundtables monthly with different sets of employees to glean insights from the front lines, and the eight overnighters, between bites of pancakes and eggs, were eager to share. Change the bar’s signage to specify the time for last call, as guests can get prickly when they are denied a late-night cocktail, said Keith Harris, director of loss prevention. Upgrade the bellmen uniforms for summer, as they get hot and sweaty transporting guests’ bags, said bellman Aaron Lockhart. Open the grab-and-go market earlier to accommodate corporate guests who are up before dawn and itching for coffee, suggested Yvonne Turner, a front desk agent. McFarland listened and asked questions while Tina Beverly, human resources director, took notes that later would be turned into a posted list showing the actions being taken to execute their ideas. The tangible outcomes from the meetings are as empowering for employees as they are productive for the hotel, said Andy Tsisrikas, director of rooms. To the front-line workers — whom Holiday Inn calls “artists” to reflect the creativity that goes into providing good service — the roundtable is a welcome opportunity to be heard. Lockhart, the bellman, said meetings at his previous job, in retail, entailed being told what to do, making him feel “like a child, almost,” he said. “Here you get to talk and offer your opinions,” Lockhart said. “You have a voice.” “It makes you feel like they really care,” agreed Rosa Navarette, a switchboard operator. Employee participation is part of the art of holding meetings that people enjoy, experts say. But while it may seem intuitive, it does not always come naturally. Gary Magenta, chief change architect at Root, a change management firm, recalls a meeting he led when he first entered corporate America, as a manager in a distribution company. He walked into the room with a binder full of information and proceeded to tell people what he wanted them to know and do. “Someone got up in that meeting about three-quarters of the way through, he put his finger in my face and said, ‘You, my friend, are going to fail,’” Magenta said. Decades later, Magenta preaches that leaders must not “tell and yell” but instead treat meetings as two-way dialogues centered around asking questions, so employees relate to the topic at hand. He likens them to dinner table conversations. “Buy-in requires people to be part of the change,” he said. “And they can’t be part of the change if their voices can’t be heard, and their voices can’t be heard if you’re not asking about their experiences and opinions.” A question-centered approach also tamps down on people scrolling through their smartphones because they don’t want to get caught not paying attention, Magenta said. To others, good meeting culture means having fewer of them. During his years as a salesman, Frank Arostegui found many meetings to be a waste of time and he could have been earning money if he was out in the field. Now executive vice president of sales at American Litho, one of the Top Workplaces that scored highly on meetings, he makes it a point to call meetings only if they move the needle. The Carol Stream-based printing company regularly has industry speakers present to employees, and Arostegui has rejected some speakers, or asked them to change their agendas, if the value proposition fell short. “We all have to be transparent and candid to make sure there is a benefit,” he said. Some meetings have proven beneficial and popular, such as weekly sessions for salesmen to practice their pitches. Arostegui challenges the team to bring questions in, which keeps the presenters on their toes and makes them better prepared. The voluntary sessions draw nearly all of his 25 salesmen, up from six when they first launched, because word got around that they’re useful, he said. Arostegui still has to deal with bad meeting etiquette. One sales rep was chronically late by three to five minutes, a pet peeve for Arostegui, who doesn’t want to waste time. The third or fourth time he was late, everyone stood up and clapped to thank him for joining, which nipped his lateness in the bud, he said. Harmon, of the consultancy Stop Meeting Like This, said employers need to raise their meeting standards. If they notice pervasive multitasking, they must make clear it’s unacceptable. “There is all of this glamorization of collaboration, but there is not a playbook for how to do it effectively. It’s almost like a garden untended.” 6 We’re stocking our shelves with awards! ALDI named to the Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune. Being named a Top Workplace is a huge honor, but we didn’t do it alone. From our store staff, warehouse members, district managers, and divisional office employees to our Chicago-based Corporate Office and IT Department, every ALDI employee deserves a round of applause. Together, we’re all working hard to make ALDI a leading retailer and employer! Competitive Salaries Stable Organization Full Benefits Real Responsibility We’re hiring now for all areas of our business. To learn more about what it’s like to work in a Top Workplace and to view available jobs, please visit: careers.aldi.us ALDI is an equal opportunity employer 7 WHAT WORKERS THINK ABOUT THEIR COMPANIES To answer the question of what makes a good workplace, the Chicago Tribune went to the people who would know the best: the employees. On behalf of the Tribune, Energage of Exton, Pa., a workplace survey and improvement specialist, conducted an engagement survey of Chicago-area employers with at least 100 employees. The Tribune did not pay Energage. The firm undertook the scientific survey for its research purposes. To find organizations most likely to participate in the survey, the Tribune used advertising to seek nominations. In total, 2,612 companies were invited to participate, compared with 2,510 in 2017. Of those, 241 companies completed the survey (219 last year), allowing Energage to identify the top organizations, divided into three categories: small (fewer than 250 employees), midsize (250-999) and large (1,000 and more), the same divisions as previous surveys. The surveyed companies employ 163,015 people in the Chicago area, of which 129,868 received surveys and 75,514 responded. Energage delivered the top results to the Tribune. The list of companies not designated a Top Workplace was kept confidential by Energage. The firm questioned employees using paper and online surveys. Employees responded to a set of statements about their feelings toward their workplace, using a seven-point scale. The statements focused on issues such as leadership of the company, execution and connection. A numerical value was attached to each statement, allowing Energage to create an overall score for each company. Afterward, Energage ran a series of statistical tests to look for any questionable results. The firm said it sometimes disqualifies a small number of employers based on these tests. The list is categorized by size because smaller employers tend to score higher than midsize employers, and midsize employers tend to score higher than large employers. — Chicago Tribune 8 Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza employees, including Mary Zhou, left, and Delhia Williams, right, laugh and eat at the monthly “social hour” meeting. CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE It could be helpful to spend two minutes at the end of each meeting reflecting on whether it was a good use of time. People also have to take control of their own meeting schedule, which has become more difficult now that co-workers can go into Outlook calendars and pencil themselves in, Harmon said. One strategy is to examine how much of their role should be spent meeting versus working, and block out the necessary working time in the calendar so they are not disturbed, she said. Another is to cluster meetings together so that they aren’t scattered throughout the day, interrupting precious concentration time. At the root of the challenge is that organizations don’t value employees’ time and employees don’t value their own time when they’re at work, Harmon said. The standard of scheduling hourlong meetings is wasteful because people often feel they should use the entire slot even when it’s unnecessary. Instead, they should challenge themselves to get it done in half the time, she said. At law firm Riley Safer Holmes and Cancila, another Top Workplace with high meeting scores, meetings aim to respect people’s time, said managing partner Patricia Brown Holmes, a former state court judge. If an hourlong meeting is finished 15 minutes early, that’s when it’s over, she said. Every meeting has a specific, narrow agenda that is sent to attendees ahead of time, and leaders stick to it. The approach stems from the young law firm’s decision, when it opened in 2016, to “embrace the millennial view,” Holmes said. Its young attorneys and staff members are “very time-focused” and want to know the goal, how to achieve it and the result, rather than engage in the Socratic method of inquiry that her generation did. “They have a life outside the firm, they’re not like the baby boomers and Gen Xers who live to work,” Holmes said. “They work to live.” That’s not to say the firm’s meetings are free of indulgence. There is always food, she said. And for, afternoon confabs, Holmes sometimes pops champagne. Leaders should make efforts to spice up regularly scheduled meetings so they don’t become so predictable that people snooze, said Tom Gimbel, CEO of the staffing firm the LaSalle Network. Change locations or format or food every few weeks, start some meetings with music and bring visual aides into others to appeal to different interests and learning styles, he said. Every once in a while, he said, start the meeting by announcing everyone will have to send a recap once it’s over, and watch how they tune in. Gimbel said he starts some meetings by asking each person to give a one-word description of how they are feeling that day — happy, lonely, busy — so he knows where everyone is coming from. At City Staffing, which got top scores on meetings in the Top Workplaces survey, management sat down with staff at the start of the year to ask what they wanted to get out of their weekly staff meetings, said co-owner and CEO Daphne Dolan. Among the requests was to receive both good and bad information and feedback, though no one wanted to be put on the spot. “We are open and honest,” said Dolan, whose business provides temps for administrative jobs. “Why did that temp not get her check? How could we have done a better job? We don’t sweep it under the carpet.” Everyone talks and is encouraged to “stay above the line” — meaning to look on the bright side rather than going down “a rabbit hole of negativity” — so it is important to maintain fun, positive meeting energy, Dolan said. Dogs are always allowed, and every week someone gets $40 to pay forward in whatever charitable way they wish, to “create that sense of kindness,” she said. Ingredients for good meetings are not all contained within the meetings themselves. At the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza, numerous other appreciation efforts feed the engagement that carries into otherwise dry work meetings, said Tina Beverly, the human resources director. For example, at a monthly social hour complete with disco ball and music, employees who were “caught in the act” of going beyond the call of duty receive $25 cash rewards, she said. At the annual Housekeeper Week, housekeepers face off against managers in bed-making competitions or relay races with mop buckets. The result is a tightknit family dynamic that makes for fruitful meetings, said Candy Perez, the overnight front desk manager. She attended a community service event at Ronald McDonald House shortly after she started the job this summer, allowing her to get to know co-workers on a personal level and develop good rapport. “When we do have our meetings, everyone is more comfortable talking,” she said. “I think culture is key in allowing us to do that.” The chemistry has had a good effect on the bottom line. Guest satisfaction scores are their highest ever despite a very busy summer, which usually takes a toll on customer service, McFarland said. Employee turnover is less than 20 percent, and a third of workers have been with the company for more than 20 years, Beverly said. The loyalty was evident at the breakfast meeting with the overnight crew. Allen Patel, an engineer, said he turned down a job offer from another hotel that would have given him a higher paycheck and title, because “I feel more comfortable here.” “I don’t want to leave,” he said. 2017 Join our ‘A’ team assuranceagency.com/about-us/careers America’s PROJECT #1 MANAGEMENT Retail Branding SOLUTION BIG RED ROOSTER FLOW CONGRATULATIONS TO THE EMPLOYEES OF BIG RED ROOSTER FLOW Over 8000 sites managed in the last year! aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com Twitter @alexiaer 9 ?on 9411141039 NI -. 179*?? :77" DNmm? .4. unu-rr-n F By Tatiana Walk-Morris tickets, nanny services, housecleaning and other items and services via the employee perk platform AnyPerk. They can also take paid time off for volunteering. arah Siddiqui became a part of Salesforce The River North office has lactation rooms, a rooftop after it acquired Steelbrick, a San Mateo, deck for fresh air and quiet spaces to recuperate from “a Calif.-based company in 2015 for $300 vicious game of pingpong,” Prince said. million. Since then, she’s helped create a community within the company. “It is absolutely a requirement that all of our team, Salesforce has various ohanas, or employregardless of your level, feel motivated and refreshed and in a ee groups dedicated to a specific topic or position to do the best work,” Prince said. “There’s time cause. The Hawaiian term ohana refers to a during the day when you need a change of person’s extended family, including friends scenery. You need to get up and move and other important social groups. In 2017, around or a bit of sunlight. … We realize that Siddiqui, manager of Salesforce’s business that’s critical for what we’re trying to do.” operations, co-founded and now serves as The company also uses internal commuglobal president of Salesforce’s aptly titled nications channels to keep everyone conFaithforce, a group for employees who nected. Within Chatter, an internal social follow a variety of religious beliefs. networking software which Salesforce Noticing that the company had groups sells and uses at its own company, the most for other causes such as LGBTQ or popular group is the "airing of grievances," women’s empowerment but nothing for where employees can post any concerns religion, she decided to start the group without retribution, Prince said. with Sue Warnke, senior director of Salesforce also has sought to take care of technology content at Salesforce. its employees by closing its gender pay gap. “My religion, me being a religious In 2015, Cindy Robbins, president and chief person, wearing a headscarf, I know my people officer, and Leyla Seka, executive ZBIGNIEW BZDAK/CHICAGO TRIBUNE community has been attacked outside. vice president of AppExchange at SalesThere are misconceptions,” said Siddiqui, force, approached founder, chairman and An employee works in the lounge at who is Muslim. “I felt there was something co-CEO Marc Benioff about adjusting Salesforce offices in Chicago. missing, and I wanted to be included in salaries to pay men and women equally. Ownership: Public those conversations.” At the time, she and Seka were disSince Salesforce was founded in San cussing proposing a women’s summit and Website: www.salesforce.com Francisco in 1999, the information technoladvocating for a better parental leave Company description: ogy company has grown to more than policy as well as eliminating salary inequiInformation technology 30,000 employees, including more than ties, Robbins said, adding that Benioff was Year founded: 1999 1,400 in the Chicago area. Its River North already concerned about the lack of Chicagoland locations: 2 office opened in 2012. women executives at company meetings. Chicagoland employees: 1,481 Salesforce is ranked No. 1 among large After the company conducted a wage employers in the Tribune’s list of Top audit, it spent about $3 million to adjust the From the survey: Workplaces, as measured by the consulsalaries of about 6 percent of employees, “Equality is at the core tancy Energage in Exton, Pa. men and women. of everything we do.” Through Salesforce’s ohanas, employees Robbins said she did not question salary “Fellow colleagues are professional, meet one another across departments — when she entered the workforce, because genuine, and customer-focused.” and borders — to convene about the causes she didn’t think it was proper to do so. they care about most. Today’s incoming workers, however, expect The company has another ohana called more transparency, and Salesforce wants employees to trust that they will be paid and the BOLDforce, a group focused on the treated fairly, she said. The company has black community within and outside of done equal pay audits in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Salesforce, said Tyler Prince, executive vice president of alliances and channels at “That’s the most surprising thing to me Salesforce. … when I get questions about, ‘Why do we have to do it again?’ And my question is, Wanting to address problems like lack of ‘Why wouldn’t we do it again?’” Robbins training or access to job opportunities in said. “That is ultimately the accountability Chicago, BOLDforce has worked to engage of CEOs. What do they want their with underprivileged communities in Chicompany to stand for?” cago, Prince said. The company has, for example, built relationships with organizaThe desire to treat employees fairly has tions like I.C.stars, Genesys Works and trickled from the top down to employees Year Up. Faithforce has grown to about like Siddiqui, who added that her current 1,200 members companywide, Siddiqui manager is the first female manager she has — Tyler Prince, executive vice said. She meets routinely with leaders of ever had. Salary is one of several topics that president of alliances and channels the other regional hubs, or chapters in Siddiqui has discussed with her boss, along other offices, to discuss the budget and with overall career aspirations and career programming efforts. development opportunities within the company. The company offers development workshops on “People were hungry for this conversation, just to open the topics like presentations and cultivating equality, she said. dialogue and create a welcoming dialogue for people of faith,” Siddiqui said. “It’s an amazing journey, and I’m excited to “I don’t think I’ve ever had a manager who cares as much lead it globally as well as bringing it to life in Chicago.” about me as I do now,” Siddiqui said. “She’s so invested in making sure I’m paid fairly and making sure I have the Tech companies are generally known to provide benefits opportunities I want and where do I want to go. And I’ve aside from the standard corporate retirement, health care never had that before.” and vacation benefits, and Salesforce is no exception. Its employees can have up to $100 a month of wellness expenses reimbursed and access discounts on concert Tatiana Walk-Morris is a freelance writer. Chicago Tribune “It is absolutely a requirement that all of our team, regardless of your level, feel motivated and refreshed and in a position to do the best work.” 11 Global Perspective. Diversified Talent. Our People. At William Blair we believe the diversity of talent, skills, and perspectives of our employees around the world are our greatest asset. We thank our employees for making William Blair a top Chicago workplace for the ninth year in a row. Kristina Blaschek, Investment Management Head of our Women’s Alliance Business Resource Group 12 TOP EMPLOYERS: LARGE Rank Company 1,000 or more employees Ownership Company description 1999 Public Information technology Founded Local sites Local employees Headquarters 2 1,481 San Francisco 1 Salesforce 2 Baird & Warner 1855 Private Real estate 30 2,892 Chicago 3 @properties 2000 Private Real estate 22 2,453 Chicago 4 Abt Electronics 1936 Private Retail sales of electronics 1 1,450 Glenview 5 US Cellular 1983 Public Wireless communication 1 1,240 Chicago 6 Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria 1971 Partnership Food 52 3,097 Northbrook 7 Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises 1971 Private Food 69 4,029 Chicago 8 Ace Hardware Corp. 1924 Co-op/mutual Hardware 3 1,046 Oak Brook 9 William Blair 1935 Private Investment banking 1 1,093 Chicago 10 Hyatt Hotels Corp. 1957 Public Hotel 11 Wintrust Financial 1991 Public Investment management 12 Accenture 1989 Public Consulting 13 Ernst & Young 1894 Partnership Professional services 14 Advocate Aurora Health 1995 Nonprofit Health care 6 3,630 Chicago 231 3,647 Rosemont 2 5,471 Dublin 2 3,654 196 29,522 New York Downers Grove 15 Discover Financial Services 1986 Public Banking/financial 1 4,308 Riverwoods 16 Rivers Casino 2011 Private Gaming/entertainment 1 1,417 Des Plaines 17 Zebra Technologies Corp. 1969 Public Enterprise mobility 18 Comcast 1963 Public Telecommunications 3 1,171 Lincolnshire 40 4,494 Philadelphia 19 Takeda Pharmaceuticals 1998 Public Pharmaceuticals 1 2,533 Deerfield 20 Medline Industries 1966 Private Health care supplies 8 3,731 Northfield 21 KPMG 1897 Partnership Accountanting 2 2,314 New York 22 Coyote Logistics 2006 Private Transportation 3 1,154 Chicago 13 1,607 Chicago 186 4,590 Batavia 23 Guaranteed Rate 2000 Private Mortgage lending 24 Aldi 1976 Co-op/mutual Retail 25 Sargent & Lundy 1891 Private Power engineering 2 1,176 Chicago 26 JLL 1783 Public Commercial real estate 4 3,169 Chicago 27 Fifth Third Bank 1858 Public Financial services 28 White Castle System 1921 Private Restaurant 29 Catholic Charities 1917 Nonprofit Human and social services 30 Thresholds 1959 Nonprofit Care for mentally ill 1 1,467 Cincinnati 67 1,166 Columbus, Ohio 154 2,486 Chicago 200 1,249 Chicago Additional recognition These companies, of various sizes, attained strong results Company Award Criteria Mike Golden, @properties Leadership Confidence in this small company’s leader Terry Graber, Power Construction Company Leadership Confidence in this midsize company’s leader Patricia Brown Holmes, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila Leadership Confidence in this large company’s leader Salesforce Direction Company is going in the right direction Wireless Vision Managers Managers care and make it easier to do job well City Staffing New ideas New ideas are encouraged Power Home Remodeling Group Doers This company does things efficiently and well Cooperative Association for Special Education Meaningfulness Employees feel part of something meaningful Perma-Seal Basement Systems Values This company operates based on strong values American Litho Clued in senior management Senior managers understand what is really happening Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North Communication Employees feel well-informed about decisions made Impact Networking Appreciation Employees feel genuinely appreciated The Jellyvision Lab Work/life flexibility Company helps employees balance work, personal life Baird & Warner Training Employees given formal training BMM Logistics Benefits Benefits package is good compared with others SOURCE: Energage CHICAGO TRIBUNE 13 LARGE COMPANY SPOTLIGHT ADVOCATE AURORA HEALTH COMMUNICATION, DEVELOPMENT KEY COGS IN HEALTH CARE D By Tatiana Walk-Morris Chicago Tribune ezaree Pearson didn’t think she was ready to change roles at Advocate Health Care. But the staff, including surgeons, her manager and other executives, encouraged her to take the leap and become manager of operations at the neuro clinical care unit in November 2015. “When I look back over my career and my life here, I have had a lot of opportunities that I’m really thankful for,” Pearson said. “You have people here cheering you on.” Pushing Pearson to try a new role is one way the health care system, which has grown over the years through merger, puts faith in its employees. Lutheran General Health System, founded in 1897, and Evangelical Health Systems Corp., founded in 1906, merged in January 1995 to form Advocate Health Care. In April, Advocate merged with Milwaukee-based Aurora Health to form Advocate Aurora Health, growing the health system to more than 29,000 Chicago-area employees. Advocate Aurora Health is ranked No. 14 among large Dr. Essam Mekhaiel, a pulmonologist, staffs the cardiovascular thoracic unit at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. 14 employers in the Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces, as measured by the consultancy Energage in Exton, Pa. Working in the neuro unit is a tough but rewarding job, Pearson said. On any given day, staffers are caring for patients dealing with strokes or in need of brain surgery. For the hard days, employees can rely on clergy members to offer comfort to them as well as to patients and their families, she said. After starting at Advocate as a nurse in 2005, Pearson noticed the chaplains and some of the executives knew staffers’ names and were there to support their careers. One day, she shared fruit snacks with Advocate’s chief nursing executive. “Our CEOs, COOs and all the acronyms — they know you,” Pearson said. “You can have their email, their phone number. You can call them anytime. … For me, that made me feel special and it made me feel supported.” As the organization continues to grow, Jim Skogsbergh, who has served as president and CEO since 2002, said he tries to visit each facility within the Advocate network to get face time with employees, but technology helps too. Staffers can, for example, fill out company surveys, send questions in as part of an ‘Ask the CEO’ initiative and get a response in 24 hours. They also can send in feedback during the last 30 minutes of the quarterly companywide webcast. Last fall the organization increased its tuition reimbursement program. The move E. JASON WAMBSGANS/CHICAGO TRIBUNE Oncology nurse Claire Schaefer works at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Ownership: Nonprofit Website: www.advocateaurorahealth.org Company description: Health care Year founded: 1995 Chicagoland locations: 196 Chicagoland employees: 29,522 From the survey: “I have flexible hours, I work on my own and at my own pace.” “My supervisor isn't a helicopter manager.” came at a pivotal point in Pearson’s career. To advance within the organization, she needed to earn her master’s degree. But as a mother of four, a master’s degree was financially out of reach. She expressed her concerns to her boss, and at one point thought she would have to leave the organization or take a step back to the kind of nursing work she was doing before. Her boss’s response? “Absolutely not.” Lynn Hennessy, chief nursing executive and vice president of nursing services at Advocate Christ Medical Center, later reassured her the company was “working on something” to resolve the issue. Last fall, the company announced it would be increasing its tuition reimbursement for employees. “I felt that that was an answered prayer for me,” Pearson said. The organization steps up to assist employees in harder times. If employees are experiencing hardships such as losing their home in a fire or losing a loved one, they can access a fund to assist them in addition to accessing the clergy on staff, Skogsbergh said. “Even though our roots are Christian, we are loving and supporting of people of all faiths and denominations,” Skogsbergh said. “That’s another part of who we are, and consistent with our value of not just excellence but compassion and respect.” Tatiana Walk-Morris is a freelance writer. PROUD SPONSOR 2018 ® We shine a light on businesses who put their community, customers and employees first. Find businesses you can trust at bbb.org or become an Accredited Business at bbb4b.org 15 LARGE COMPANY SPOTLIGHT ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES ACQ QUISITION CREATED OPPORTUNITIES C By Judith Crown Chicago Tribune ulture change at Zebra Technologies began with its $3.45 billion acquisition of Motorola Solutions’ Enterprise business four years ago. “We knew we had to be deliberate about the organizations coming together,” said CEO Anders Gustafsson. “There was a risk if the cultures didn’t jell. We heeded (business guru) Peter Drucker’s warning, ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ ” The company, whose products use scanner codes to track the movement of goods and services, has made progress in creating a dynamic workplace, one that has created more opportunities for employees. 16 “The merger opened new worlds for us,” said Christine Weber, product marketing and regional product manager. “People have been able to take on different roles, whether lateral moves or promotions. You can learn more, and do more.” Lincolnshire-based Zebra, named for the black-and-white striped bar codes it prints, posted sales of $3.72 billion last year. The company is ranked No. 17 among large employers in the Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces, as measured by the consultancy Energage in Exton, Pa. The acquisition combined Zebra’s expertise in bar-code labels and printers with Motorola’s scanners and computers, and it is enabling Zebra to make strides in developing the Internet of Things — the idea of connecting web-enabled devices to collect and share data. Internally, employees are speaking a The 2014 deal was audacious because common language. One mantra is “be here Motorola’s revenues were markedly larger now,” meaning be present, or don’t sit in a — $2.5 billion compared with about $1 meeting and answer emails. “If we see billion at Zebra. And Zebra, with 2,500 someone not adhering to that, it’s OK to employees, was to absorb about 4,500 call them out,” Ehlers said. “Hey, is your workers from Motorola for a combined empire going to fall while you’re here for workforce of 7,000. The company employs the next 30 minutes?” nearly 1,200 people in the Chicago area. But Zebra is trying to do away with The company hired a consultant known meetings that aren’t essential. Ehlers for integrating diverse corporate cultures believes there are fewer because people and embarked on a series of workshops and come together organically, and more often. training sessions. “We encouraged people “You’ll see areas where people are drawing to be open and curious,” Gustafsson said. PAUL BEATY/FOR THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE on whiteboards,” he said. “That’s more Zebra tried to harmonize where there Senior Lead Program Representative purposeful than a status meeting.” were differences. For example, Zebra Lyndon Moodie works in Zebra’s embraced Motorola’s practice of awarding Weber said she attends a lot of meetings, newly renovated office in Lincolnshire. incentive bonuses. “We made the travel but organizers try to be mindful of time. “We policy more frugal, which didn’t go over so keep on task, end on time and know where Ownership: Public well,” Gustafsson said. “But people underwe’re going after the meeting,” she said. Website: www.zebra.com stood the rationale.” It can be difficult to make people feel Company description: Enterprise The results have been encouraging. A appreciated in a large public company, so mobility and asset visibility survey earlier this year found 83 percent of Zebra has instituted several mechanisms Year founded: 1969 employees were engaged or highly ento spread the love. The company printed gaged, Gustafson said, well ahead of what “appreciation tags,” where an employee Chicagoland locations: 3 would be a respectable outcome in the can write a note to a colleague who has Chicagoland employees: 1,171 60-percent range. been helpful. There’s also the GEM (Going From the survey: Drew Ehlers, a global director whose the Extra Mile) program. “I have so much autonomy to lead responsibilities include portfolio market“Before it wasn’t so easy to recognize and do what I think is best for the ing and enterprise software, said the people,” Weber said. “Now I can reach out organization.” merger has opened new possibilities for to people who helped me, and their “My work-life balance is awesome.” bringing efficiencies to Zebra’s customers manager sees that as well.” in the health care, manufacturing, distribuGustafsson agreed: “We’re trying to be tion and retail industries better at taking a moment to step and smell the roses, For example, workers filling orders in a warehouse could celebrate some good achievements.” be equipped with hand-held computers so they don’t have to detour to a fixed computer station. Judith Crown is a freelance writer. 2018 17 A HANDS- ON JACCESSIBLE 9 . GROWTH STRATEGY today, but it was a necessity.” The company invested in equipment to process the paperboard it purchases. Packaging now represents 10 ne of the best things about being in the percent of revenues. printing business is that no two jobs are Martinez appreciates that the owners empowered him to alike. There’s different paper, different make decisions and are available when needed. “Their door art, different dimensions. is always open,” he said. “We can talk through decisions that “You have to have a staff that’s highly have to be made quickly. I don’t have to wait for a meeting attentive and engaged with what they’re two days from now.” doing, said Ann Porster, national sales The owners also get involved with new business manager at American Litho. “Otherwise, it’s easy to miss presentations, said Porster, who sold her Detroit printing things.” company to American Litho six years ago. She recalled how There’s no doubt that the 350 employees at American Fontana participated in a sales call with a bank via a video Litho are engaged. Turnover is low: 20 percent of the workers connection. “The bank people were impressed that an have tenure of 10 years or more and another 30 percent have owner sat in on a sales meeting for an hour and a half,” she been on the job five years or more. Staff members give high said. “He wants to know the expectations. What is the client marks to owners Mike Fontana and Chris Joyaux for their looking for?” open-door policy and respect for the workforce. Meetings at American Litho are to the point. About a year “It’s easy to talk to them,” said Truman Pope, director of and a half ago, the department managers who oversee finishing. “They listen. What do we need? How do we make production modified their daily 8:30 a.m. status meeting to it better?” respect the time of the customer service managers who Fontana and Joyaux started American Litho in 1994 in a oversee the progress of client projects. 10,000-square-foot space in Addison. They Previously, 18 customer service reps sat printed letters and simple brochures. in the meeting, waiting their turn to Nearly 25 years later, American Litho is discuss their projects. Now, they come in operating out of a 320,000-square-foot one at a time. “The customer service printing plant in Carol Stream, with annual representative has the floor,” said Michael sales of $125 million. The company’s bread Ferruzza, director of prepress. “They get and butter is direct mail but it also handles an answer right away. One comes in, one packaging, store signage and other print goes out. Everyone knows what’s going on pieces. for the day.” American Litho is ranked No. 1 among The weekly sales meetings, in contrast, midsized employers in the Tribune’s list of are boisterous and motivational. Everyone Top Workplaces, as measured by the participates, so everyone is engaged, consultancy Energage in Exton, Pa. Porster said. “Sales people will talk about a Ellie Valadez, director of client packaging challenge, a victory or a loss, so everyone management, started with the company 22 can learn,” she said. “If you know you’re years ago. “The owners’ parents would come ANTONIO PEREZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE going to have to speak, you listen hard to in with lunch,” Valadez recalled. “We would Michael Fontana, president of what others are saying.” shut down the machines and eat lunch American Litho, teamed up with his Employees appreciate that owners Fontogether. I realized this was something friend Chris Joyaux to start the comtana and Joyaux keep a high profile. On any different. I decided I never would leave.” pany, which now has 350 employees. weekday morning, one or the other can be Fontana, who is president, was working seen greeting workers on the plant floor. as a certified public accountant when he Ownership: Private “They work hard, so you try to make them teamed with his boyhood hockey chum Website: www.alitho.com feel special,” Fontana said. “That goes a Joyaux to start the venture. The company Company description: Commercial long way.” has thrived even though online marketing printing and packaging has taken a big bite out of the old-line Fontana said the company spends time Year founded: 1994 printing business. Marketers get the best and money on processes such as IT in order Chicagoland locations: 1 return on investment when they use to make the workplace more efficient. “I try different channels, Fontana said, adding, to treat people as I would want to be treated. Chicagoland employees: 350 “Direct mail is an extra element that the I’m the boss when I need to be the boss. But I consumer can touch.” try to engage people’s talents and their The company helps customers make the most of their experience, and people like that and respect that.” direct mail campaigns by building predictive models. American Litho employees appreciate some of the “People used to buy lists but that’s old-school,” Fontana said. smaller touches. The owners are hockey fans and often When clients supply the names of their best customers, attend Chicago Blackhawks games. They might take some American Litho’s in-house data team identifies the most managers and maybe there’s a customer too, said Pope, the important attributes of those customers and creates a director of finishing. Having met a customer, a manager will broader database with the targeted attributes. “It’s all about be more comfortable in the future, calling that customer personalization,” Fontana said. directly to solve a problem, he said. The company also has diversified, recruiting experts in The owners distribute turkeys to each employee at fields such as prepress and finishing. “Competitors Thanksgiving. Occasionally, they bring in a food truck and mismanaged good people and that was an opportunity for offer burritos for lunch on the company’s dime. And then us,” Fontana said. “They weren’t happy. When they came there’s the annual holiday party with an open bar, here, they were happy.” entertainment and games. Fontana would refer recruits to the most recently hired Valadez, the director of client packaging management, manager. “I would say, ‘talk to him, he’s happy,’” Fontana often serves as a translator for Spanish-speaking employees. recalled. “The whole thing started to snowball.” But the concerns usually have to do with a baby-sitter Dwayne Martinez joined American Litho five years ago problem or needing to be home with a sick child. “There are to build a packaging business. “They owners gave me free no complaints,” she said. “It’s a good place. My home.” rein,” said Martinez, vice president of sales. “I spent a lot of their money to get the business where it is Judith Crown is a freelance writer. By Judith Crown O Chicago Tribune 19 Chicago Tribune Top Workplace for Five Consecutive Years Thresholds thanks our inspiring employees, clients, board, and partners for furthering our mission as a leader in mental health. thresholds.org/careers 20 TOP EMPLOYERS: MIDSIZE Rank Company 250-999 employees Founded Ownership Company description Local sites Local employees Headquarters 1 American Litho 1994 Private Commercial printing 1 350 Carol Stream 2 Impact Networking 1999 Private Technology 9 395 Lake Forest 3 Real People Realty 2001 Partnership Real estate 4 521 Mokena 4 Kale Realty 2017 Private Real estate 2 566 Chicago 5 West Monroe Partners 2002 Private Business/tech consulting 1 684 Chicago 6 Compass 2012 Private Real estate 8 401 Chicago 7 Sentinel Technologies 1982 Private Information technology 2 314 Downers Grove 8 Wireless Vision 2004 Partnership Telecommunications 45 261 Bloomfield Hills, Mich. 9 Plante Moran 1924 Private Accountants 3 480 Southfield 10 Assurance Agency 1961 Private Insurance 2 490 Schaumburg 11 Libertyville School District 70 1886 Public Education 1 304 Libertyville 12 ActiveCampaign 2003 Private Marketing 1 259 Chicago 13 Solstice 2001 Public Software development 1 276 Chicago 14 Northwestern Mutual Chicagoland 1872 Co-op/mutual Financial planning 4 250 Milwaukee 15 Power Construction 1926 Private Construction 1 348 Chicago 16 DecisionOne Dental Partners 2011 Private Dentistry 24 274 Schaumburg 17 Power Wellness Management 1996 Private Health care 6 385 Lombard 18 Flexco 1907 Private Manufacturing 2 250 Downers Grove 19 Edward Jones 1922 Partnership Financial services 324 724 St. Louis 20 Slalom 2001 Private Consulting 1 521 Seattle 21 Charles Schwab 1973 Public Investment management 14 519 San Francisco 22 James McHugh Construction 1897 Private Construction 1 735 Chicago 23 Shure 1925 Private Electronics 3 786 Niles 24 Horizon Pharma 2008 Public Pharmaceuticals 2 363 Lake Forest 25 Two Roads Hospitality 2016 Private Hospitality 5 550 Englewood 26 BCU 1981 Nonprofit Credit union 8 451 Vernon Hills 27 PPM America 1990 Private Investment management 2 261 Chicago 28 Avanade 2000 Private Software development 1 410 Seattle 29 Pepper Construction 1927 Private Construction 3 427 Chicago 30 Reyes Beer Division 1976 Private Distribution 3 364 Rosemont 31 Beam Suntory 2014 Private Food and beverages 1 517 Chicago 32 Greater Joliet Area YMCA 1928 Nonprofit Nonprofit 4 375 Joliet 33 A.J. Antunes & Co. 1955 Private Food service equipment 1 258 Carol Stream 34 Ozinga 1928 Private Building products 39 765 Mokena 35 The Jellyvision Lab 1989 Private Software 1 372 Chicago 36 Sprout Social 2010 Private Enterprise software 1 373 Chicago 37 Perl Mortgage 1994 Private Mortgage lending 6 269 Chicago 38 TTX 1955 Private Railcar pooling services 11 315 Chicago 39 Endurance 2006 Private Vehicle protection 2 395 Northbrook 40 Next College Student Athlete 2000 Private Youth athletics 1 413 Chicago 41 Mercy Home for Boys & Girls 1887 Nonprofit Children’s charity 3 286 Chicago 42 NOW Health Group 1968 Private Supplements 3 880 Bloomingdale 43 College of American Pathologists 1946 Nonprofit Trade association 1 612 Northfield 44 National Futures Association 1982 Nonprofit Regulatory organization 1 382 Chicago 45 Shriners Hospitals For Children 1922 Nonprofit Pediatric health care 1 295 Tampa, Fla. 46 Relativity 2001 Private e-Discovery software 1 698 Chicago 47 Draper and Kramer 1893 Private Real estate 17 427 Chicago 48 Flexera 2008 Private Enterprise software 1 258 Itasca 49 Pangea Properties 2009 Private Real estate 8 354 Chicago 50 Panda Restaurant Group 1973 Private Restaurants 90 934 Rosemead, Calif. 51 Mesirow Financial 1937 Private Financial services 3 412 Chicago 52 Erie Family Health Center 1957 Non-profit Health care 13 654 Chicago 53 Residential Home Health 2009 Private Home health care 1 268 Troy, Mich. 54 VelocityEHS 1996 Private Web-based services 1 269 Chicago 55 JourneyCare 1982 Nonprofit Hospice and palliative care 10 850 Glenview SOURCE: Energage CHICAGO TRIBUNE 21 MIDSIZE COMPANY SPOTLIGHT SLALOM FINDING THEIR PATH TO EXCITEMENT M By Judith Crown Chicago Tribune iheer Munjal is a fan of the Slalom hackathon — where teams compete to develop solutions in fields such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and social good. It’s not the type of exercise typically associated with a consulting firm, but Munjal appreciates that Slalom gives him the opportunity to pursue the topics that enthrall him. Munjal is a “solution principal,” meaning he works with teams that use technology to solve business problems at clients in the health care, agriculture, consumer packaged goods and 22 advertising industries. The hackathon is a way to test technology in a low-risk setting. A team may develop an approach that can be replicated for a client. The competitions span a few months and culminate in a final session in a Slalom city. Munjal’s team was a finalist in the AI competition last year, where it developed a way for cyber security teams to identify hackers. “The hackathon gives us a chance to collaborate with people we normally might not work with,” Munjal said. “And it encourages people to think about problems in a different mindset.” Slalom — so named because the firm sees consulting as navigating a series of obstacles with the goal of reaching the endpoint quickly — wants its employees pursuing work that expertise. I was allowed to do what I want, excites them. “We want people to find their and I want to make sure everyone has that passion and explore it in a safe environchance.” ment,’” said General Manager Justin OdenAlthough meetings can be the bane of bach. “We can build great leaders and help many a consultant, Slalom tries to make people unleash their potential. Their path them efficient and sometimes, even enteris their path. They need to choose it. We taining. One quarterly meeting was staged support them doing that.” as a late-night talk show. In another, Slalom differentiates itself from comOdenbach interpreted the Wizard of Oz by petitors by keeping its consultants close to wearing a green jacket that still hangs in his home. There’s no unwanted travel. And it office. rejects the “up or out model” where “You’re not just sitting through a 90consultants are expected to leave if they minute Power Point,” said consultant don’t advance. Jamie White. “You’re free to enter in any role and that PAUL BEATY/FOR THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE White, who joined Slalom in June 2017, can be your home,” Odenbach said. ConKaren Mackay, left, and Katie Morris appreciates that she’s been able to make a sultants can dig into their area of expertise, work at Slalom. It has more than difference in a short time. Her specialty is they can learn other disciplines or move to 500 consultants based in the city. training companies in a transition, such as other company functions. a merger. With more than $1 billion in annual Ownership: Private “Once you’re at a client, you help them revenue, Seattle-based Slalom employs Website: www.slalom.com think about things they may not have 5,500 in 27 markets across the U.S. and Company description: Consulting considered,” she said. “Your work can have United Kingdom. Year founded: 2001 a ripple effect. They may ask you to stay on In Chicago, there are more than 500 and tackle the next big project.” consultants. Recent clients include Hyatt Chicagoland locations: 1 White also has been able to make an Hotels Corp., Allstate Corp. and real estate Chicagoland employees: 521 impact internally. For example, she has company GGP, now part of Brookfield From the survey: served as a coach for people in the Slalom Property Partners. “I own my career and my own growth.” organization, helping them improve parThe consultancy is ranked No. 20 among “It challenges me to think ticular skills such as delivering presentamidsized employers in the Tribune’s list of differently, to stretch myself tions. Top Workplaces, as measured by the and accept mistakes.” “There’s a number of ways you can consultancy Energage in Exton, Pa. grow,” she said. “You can dive into a subject Odenbach joined Slalom 12 years ago discipline, work on new business or manage client after spending years on the road as a consultant in relationships.” enterprise resource planning systems. “When I joined, I thought Slalom wanted me to do ERP,” he said. “In fact, I Judith Crown is a freelance writer. was being hired to be a great consultant and leverage that #proudtobeRSHC We excel at what we do We provide exceptional sservice We perform exemplary ppro bono ervice We deliver value to our clients, as they measure value We are diverse We care about our clients and each other rshc-law.com 23 SCHOOL i 20% Dinner SPICE UP THE SEASON with cookbooks that' Inspire creative holiday j; cooking and entertaining. (Ehiragn Eribmw at chIcagotrIbune.com/cookbooks STORE or call {866] 5453534 From the Chicago Tribune editors of the beloved @Vintagetribune Instagrarn account comes this unexpected, inspired portrait of one of the world?s great metropolises. SHOP NOW at or call (866) 545-3534 (Chimgu Erilumr Offer valid through 11/12/18. Cannot be combined with any other offers. 25 MIDSIZE COMPANY SPOTLIGHT NEXT COLLEGE STUDENT ATHLETE STAFFERS STRESS TEAMWORK A By Tatiana Walk-Morris Chicago Tribune s a token of appreciation, Next College Student Athlete President and Chief Operating Officer Lisa Strasman writes thankyou notes to her employees. Jaimie Duffek is one of many staffers to receive them. Duffek started out as a college relations intern at NCSA in June 2012. Six years later, she has worked her way up to senior softball recruiting coach. She keeps the handwritten note she received on her sixth anniversary on the job, along with other notes from Strasman. “(The note) was along the lines of, ‘Congratulations! We’re really excited to have you be a part of the company for so long.’ 26 She also mentioned that she valued me and she’s been excited to see how much I’ve grown over the past few years,” Duffek said. “It was really heartfelt.” NCSA, founded in March 2000 as the National Collegiate Scouting Association, connects student-athletes with college coaches. The company, which changed its name in October 2016, has grown to more than 700 employees, including more than 400 in Chicago. Strasman said as the company grows she will continue sending handwritten notes to employees, a gesture she has continued after company founder Chris Krause gave her a handwritten note less than a year after she joined the company. After starting as a recruiting coach in 2004, Strasman became chief operating officer and president in 2012. “I think a personal handwritten note is more meaningful than an email or other methods of communication,” Strasman said. “It’s important for people to know that there’s people that really care about them.” Others efforts aimed at supporting staffers include a quarterly women’s book club and a women’s resource group. There’s also a ‘dream team’ initiative, in which employees are paired to help each other reach personal goals such as cleaning out a home garage or learning Spanish. Next College Student Athlete is ranked No. 40 among midsize employers in the Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces, as measured by the consultancy Energage in Exton, Pa. Working at NCSA allows Duffek to not only draw from her communications and sports background but also tap into her recruiting experience to help students find the best fit. After graduating from Drake University in 2012, Duffek, then a softball player and journalism, public relations and sociology major, wasn’t sure where her career was headed and wanted a break from the sport. Before her brother started college, he — then a high school baseball player — had a call with an NCSA recruiting specialist. Duffek chimed in about her recruiting experience and asked if the company was hiring. After applying to work there, she got two in-person interviews over two days and was hired that same weekend, she said. PAUL BEATY/FOR THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE Next College Student Athlete connects student-athletes with coaches. Ownership: Private Website: www.ncsasports.org Company description: Youth athletics, software and services. Year founded: 2000 Chicagoland locations: 1 Chicagoland employees: 413 From the survey: “It challenges me, and pushes me out of my comfort zone.” “After-work festivities are awesome.” Today she walks student softball athletes through the college recruiting process, drawing on her background as former Division I softball player. She helps students figure out what kind of university is a good fit, based on their aspirations — some prioritize universities with high academic standards, others favor colleges that offer the best scholarship aid. A company composed of many former student-athletes produces a healthy competitive yet supportive environment, she said. The operations team, for example, competes to meet athlete-college commitment goals, has an annual flag football tournament called the Turkey Bowl and monthly company check-ins referred to as “huddles.” “We do competitions to reach that next peak and bring out that competitive nature that resonates with a lot of us still,” Duffek said. “I don’t like to brag, but I think we’re kind of a breed of our own in some ways.” Duffek saw how supportive the company can be when she lost her grandmother about two years ago. Her co-workers gave her flowers, a card and checked in on her during that emotional period. “It was going that extra mile, above and beyond, that made me feel that I was wanted,” Duffek said. “It made me feel like I was in a place that’s special and that they value me not just as an employee, but as a person.” Tatiana Walk-Morris is a freelance writer. Insurance, reimagined. Our employees are our single greatest asset, and each one of them contributes to our success every day. Thank you for your hard work and dedication! 2018 Please visit us at www.captiveresources.com 27 NO. 1 SMALL COMPANY COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TAKING CARE OF THE CAREGIVERS W By Corilyn Shropshire Chicago Tribune hen Kara Graham was diagnosed with cancer six years ago, her boss insisted she take all the time she needed for treatment. As she recovered at home, she received a video of her colleagues holding up signs spelling out “Get Well Soon Kara.” “(Executive Director) Mary Furbush made it clear that my job was to get well,” Graham said. That’s what makes the Cooperative Association for Special Education a special place to work, said Graham, a hearing disability specialist. There, employee morale isn’t rooted in fancy break rooms and free weekly happy hours. Rather, it’s about the unwavering support that employees receive from their colleagues as they spend their days teaching and assisting schoolchildren with special needs. The Cooperative Association for Special Education is ranked No. 1 among small employers in the Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces, as measured by the consultancy Energage in Exton, Pa. Executive director Mary Furbush addresses colleagues during a picnic for the CASE workers at Madison Meadow Park in Lombard. 28 Emily Shields, the administrator of The staff of 180, which includes special programs and services, was among those education teachers, social workers, psywho helped Morley problem-solve. Workchologists and therapists, among other ing at CASE, Shields said, has given her the specialists, are spread over seven school flexibility to try new approaches for districts in DuPage County, providing needassisting special education students and specific services to elementary and high the chance to expand her role within the school students with a range of physical, organization. “(Furbush) comes from a intellectual and developmental disabilities. place of ‘yes,’” Shields said. “It’s never ‘no.’ “Our cooperative is about collaboration It’s always, ‘Let’s try it.’” and inclusion, making sure my staff are Maintaining morale and providing supunderstanding they are part of a team,” port is crucial, and according to employees, Furbush said. one of the organization’s greatest sucThe work is challenging. Sometimes it’s cesses. Weekly newsletters tout employfrustrating. Burnout is a concern. But it’s JOHN J. KIM/CHICAGO TRIBUNE ees’ personal news and professional always rewarding, employees say. Talk to the Program administrator Emily Shield, achievements. The organization is deCASE staff and the words “support,” “comright, hugs a colleague at a picnic. signed around not only providing needed radery,” and “accessible” constantly pepper special education services to the school their explanations of why they love their Ownership: Government districts, but also support, services and jobs. Sometimes the support is as simple as Website: www.casedupage.com professional development for the staff. solving a teaching or administrative issue. Company description: Education In September, there were more than 10 “I feel like no matter what, they have Year founded: 1980 seminars around various education and always been the ones who are here,” said parenting topics offered to employees and Christina Morley, a special education Chicagoland locations: 2 educators. teacher hired by CASE to teach at Heritage Chicagoland employees: 180 “They want to help you expand your Lakes Elementary in west suburban Carol From the survey: vocational chops,” said Jeffrey Money, a Stream. “They say, here’s my cellphone, “I enjoy the students, families CASE social worker based at Glenbard call me if you need me.” and staff I work with.” North High School in Carol Stream. And on several occasions, Morley has. “My day is joyful and purpose-filled.” Morley said Furbush and her deputies Faced with what she calls a “tough kid” in a previous school year. Morley needed have fostered an environment where staff help figuring out how to handle his aggressive behavior and members are empowered by being affirmed that they are good help him learn. Morley brainstormed with CASE staff on at their jobs. “I think the way they treat us just makes it better, new methods to help the child learn and how to convince because we rise to the occasion.” Morley said. “I feel like when the school administration to sign off on the new ideas. It we come together as a group, we’re truly like a family.” worked, and Morley credits her CASE peers. “They are always there when I need them,” she said. crshropshire@chicagotribune.com Congratulations to the employees of GREAT EMPLOYEES make for GREAT Recognized as a top Chicagoland workplace for nine consecutive years. DENTAL OFFICES Come Experience What We Can Do For You. WEBSTER TTX Company is a leading provider of railcars and related freight car management services to the North American rail industry. DENTAL CARE Chicago: Lakeview, Portage Park, Edison Park, Sauganash Skokie, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, La Grange Park, Berwyn, Evanston 877-4-1-TOP-DOC www.webdentalchicago.com www.webde RAILCAR POOLING EXPERTS • ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE • FLEET SERVICES • RESEARCH • LOGISTICS www.ttx.com Proud to named a Top Workplace in Chicago Area for 8 consecutive years! 29 TOP EMPLOYERS: SMALL 249 or fewer employees Rank Company Founded 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Coop. Assoc. for Special Education City Staffing Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza Power Home Remodeling Group Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila Keller Williams Realty Infinity Arrive Logistics Perma-Seal Basement Systems BMM Logistics First Centennial Mortgage Corp. ARCO/Murray National Construction John Greene Realtor American Income Life - Lloyd Agencies OppLoans SWC Technology Partners Swissotel Chicago Captive Resources HS2 Solutions LaSalle Network Benjamin School District 25 PHMG Clarity Partners Big Red Rooster Flow Litera Microsystems d'aprile properties + Midwest Lending AArete Burwood Group SDI Presence Webster Dental Care SmithGroup Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago Northwestern Mutual - Chicago CrossCountry Mortgage Lemont High School District 210 Schafer Condon Carter Mount Prospect Public Library Total Quality Logistics Advanced Group Much Shelist CompTIA SpringCm Central Baptist Village Lincoln International Feldco Factory Direct Unity Hospice Batavia Park District Adams Street Partners Incredible Technologies Perkins Coie Transwestern Collegis Education Legacy Marketing Fanuc America Corp. Chicago Bulls John Burns Construction Proven Business Systems Jackson National Asset Management Intelligent Medical Objects NovaCare Rehabilitation Lundbeck Addison Group CBIZ OpticsPlanet The Marketing Store Worldwide Czarnowski SOURCE: Energage 30 1980 1990 1977 1992 2016 2010 2014 1979 2008 1995 2006 1976 2011 2012 1980 1988 1989 2003 1998 1844 1998 2004 2009 1995 2011 2008 1997 1996 1976 1853 1874 1872 2003 1890 1987 1943 1997 1988 1970 1982 2005 1896 1996 1976 1992 1969 1972 1985 1912 1978 2013 2003 1982 1966 1906 2003 1995 1995 1987 1915 1999 1996 2000 1986 1947 Ownership Company description Government Private Private Private Partnership Co-op/mutual Private Private Private Private Partnership Private Public Private Private Private Private Private Private Government Private Private Private Private Private Partnership Private Private Private Private Nonprofit Co-op/mutual Private Government Co-op/mutual Government Private Private Partnership Nonprofit Private Nonprofit Private Private Private Government Partnership Private Partnership Private Private Private Private Private Private Partnership Private Private Subsidiary Public Private Public Private Private Private Education Staffing Hotel Home remodeling Law Real estate Logistics Basement waterproofing Logistics Mortgage lending Construction Real estate Insurance Online lending Software development Hotel Insurance consultants Software development Staffing Education Audio branding Software development Project management Software development Real estate Consulting Information technology Information technology Dentistry Architecture Religion Financial planning Mortgage lending Education Advertising Public library Logistics Staffing Law Trade association Software Health care Investment bank Consumer services Health care Park district Private markets Amusement and gaming Law Real estate Marketing Marketing Manufacturing Sports Electrical Network services Financial services Health care IT Physical therapy Pharmaceuticals Staffing Employee services Internet retailer Consumer engagement Exhibit marketing Local sites Local employees 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 9 2 3 1 1 2 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 1 1 10 1 2 1 12 1 1 4 13 1 1 2 2 6 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 8 1 2 47 1 2 2 1 1 1 180 107 203 151 101 234 104 150 120 169 188 207 105 223 216 245 187 166 241 103 105 120 103 102 340 162 102 116 180 100 106 200 123 178 118 167 204 222 162 129 168 230 184 180 127 141 113 200 233 199 115 110 174 146 100 202 180 181 242 227 225 113 224 217 100 Headquarters Glen Ellyn Chicago Schaumburg Chester, Pa. Chicago Naperville Austin, Texas Downers Grove Chicago Aurora Downers Grove Naperville Schaumburg Chicago Oak Brook Paris Itasca Chicago Chicago West Chicago Chicago Chicago Northfield Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Lincolnwood Detroit Chicago Chicago Brecksville, Ohio Lemont Chicago Mount Prospect Cincinnati Chicago Chicago Downers Grove Chicago Norridge Chicago Des Plaines Skokie Batavia Chicago Vernon Hills Seattle Houston Oak Brook Chicago Rochester Hills, Mich. Chicago Orland Park Tinley Park Chicago Northbrook Mechanicsburg, Pa. Deerfield Chicago Cleveland Northbrook Chicago Chicago CHICAGO TRIBUNE THE CLOSEST THING TO BEING THERE IS BEING HERE EVERY GAME. EVERY STORY. EVERY INSIGHT. From experts who live and breathe soccer. Get access to photo & video galleries, exclusive interviews, insider analysis, and in-depth coverage from a Chicago perspective. Chicago’s source for worldwide soccer. chicagotribune.com/90minutes 31 SMALL COMPANY SPOTLIGHT PHMG STARTUP CULTURE HELPS FUEL SALES E By Judith Crown Chicago Tribune very morning Corey Nieder looks forward to a fast-paced workday. As head of sales for Texas at PHMG, Nieder is responsible for pumping up his team of 17 sales representatives to meet targets and have fun along the way. The sales reps are responsible for booking appointments with businesses that they believe would benefit from the company’s product: audio tracks that play music or messages while a caller is on hold. The company, which started as Please Hold Media Group, calls it “audio branding.” The job is challenging — employees are on the phone all day persuading car dealers, medical offices and tech companies to 32 accept an appointment to learn more and hear a demonstration track. To keep employees engaged, the company offers lots of incentives and perks. Can you deliver an appointment by noon today? You get $50 cash. Need a haircut? You can get one for free on the 17th floor. Is your son starting kindergarten? You can take the day off to take him to school. Based in Manchester, England, PHMG opened the Chicago office, its U.S. headquarters, two years ago. “We have the feel of a startup,” Nieder said. PHMG is ranked No. 21 among small employers in the Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces, as measured by the consultancy Energage in Exton, Pa. The company employs about 100 at its Chicago office, including inside and field sales representatives covering She also feels appreciated. “When Illinois, Texas and its recently opened you’re in hypergrowth mode and building a California territory, as well as recruiters business, every move counts,” she said. and operations staff. The audio tracks are “Sometimes things fall through but when produced in England. they work out, (management) recognizes “We translate the DNA of a business into your contribution.” music, voice and script,” said Peter Evans, Another benefit: meetings are short and CEO for North America. The parent to the point. Sales managers meet with company employs 400 and generated their teams for 10 to 15 minutes in the revenues of $50 million last year. morning to discuss plans and goals for the Most of the reps are in their first or day, describe the incentives being offered second sales jobs. “We give them a taste of that day and inspire them to hit the phones the good life,” Evans said. They can earn hard. At the end of the day there’s a short $50,000 to $80,000 annually, including wrap-up as the teams organize for the next commission, “which is not bad for a PAUL BEATY/FOR THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE day. “We highlight the wins,” Nieder said. 24-year-old,” he said. PHMG is ranked No. 21 among small In 2016, Nieder was in between jobs, The company provides training, such as employers in the Tribune’s list. living with his family in St. Louis when he how to identify leads and how to perfect answered an ad for the new Chicago office. the pitch. “After two or three years on the Ownership: Private He enjoyed a rapid rise and after a year he phone, you have skills and experience you Website: www.phmg.com was promoted to team leader. He recently can use as a springboard,” Evans said. Company description: was promoted again, this time to head the For talent acquisition executive Toni Audio branding Texas sales team. Birditt, the reward comes from working in “It can be draining being on the phone a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. Year founded: 1998 eight hours, making 100 calls a day,” he said. Although she finds job candidates through Chicagoland locations: 1 “So you have to create a good culture and traditional postings, she also attends events Chicagoland employees: 105 have some fun. We think of ways to get the in the startup and tech communities to get From the survey: guys and girls excited about the job.” the company’s name out. “My ideas are taken seriously and For example, during soccer’s World Cup, Birditt, who joined PHMG more than I enjoy the people I work with.” if the reps had booked appointments, they six months ago, said she was looking for a “The culture is amazing, qualified to select a team in an in-house place where “what I did, day in, day out, as is the product and pay.” tournament. “If your team scored, you got would be instrumental to the business.” to leave early,” Nieder said. “That was The incentives and perks are a big plus. great, especially during the summer, when Birditt recently earned a bonus that people want to enjoy the weather.” enabled her to travel to Mexico to attend a friend’s wedding. The incentives promote a healthy competition and “keep Judith Crown is a freelance writer. the team driving forward,” she said. Three Cheers for Our Associates! 2018 White Castle team members work tirelessly and enthusiastically each day to create memorable moments for our customers, and our incredible team members are shining examples for us all. We are a family-owned business and our team members are at the core of everything we do. No wonder that one in four at White Castle have worked alongside us for 10 years or more. We are honored to be named one of the Top Work Places in the great city of Chicago! careers.whitecastle.com 2017 2018 When U.S. Cellular® was ranked among the Chicago Tribune’s Top Places to Work for the first time, we were quite proud. The second recognition was twice as nice. But a third consecutive honor? Now that’s something to shout about. It means even more because we’re a technology company out u people, and this award is based on employee feedback. T ur ou, amazing associates who made it happen, we say, “Tha e w who o k satisfying thank you, thank you!” And we welcome others careers within an empowerin o e en iro nt, excep e ep nal a training resource es, an real advancement potent ntial. uscellular.jobs Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled 33 (Eltirago ?(tribune THE BEDTIME STORIES YOU TELL YOUR KIDS SHOULD INCLUDE MONSTERS Relive nine decades of Chicago Bears history with a comprehensive, decade-by- decade portrait of the team featuring essays, box scores, reproduced articles, archival photographs, a one-of-a-kind first person account by George Halas, and team memorabilia from the Chicago Tribune's vast historical archives. Order today at 34 YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN IT’S UNSCRIPTED A FESTIVE CULINARY EXPERIENCE WITH Chef Stephanie Izard ž b ž NOVEMBER 29, 6:00 to 9:00 PM Little Goat Diner 820 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607 Free copy of the book with event ticket! Get tickets at unscriptedseries.com 35 SMALL COMPANY SPOTLIGHT INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES KEEPING ‘MISFIT TOYS’ HAPPY I By Corilyn Shropshire Chicago Tribune n June, all 235 of Incredible Technologies’ employees were surprised with “Happy Happy Bonus Day.” Every employee was given a bonus equaling a percentage of their salary. That was in addition to the bonuses they’re scheduled to receive at the end of the year. It is those kind of perks that keep the Vernon Hills gaming company’s team of “misfit toys” — as owner and CEO Elaine Hodgson calls them — happy. Incredible Technologies is ranked No. 48 among small employers in the Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces, as measured by the consultancy Energage in Exton, Pa. The company, the maker of the arcade game Golden Tee Golf as well as casino gaming machines, isn’t a place for traditional corporate types, according to Hodgson. “There’s more flexibility,” Hodgson said.“You work really hard, but you also play really hard.” That is the tone Hodgson and her business partner and then-husband, Richard Ditton, set 33 years ago when they launched the business to create and sell video games and work alongside people they liked. Technical artist Shalia Wynn, from left, designer Ralph Melgosa and programmer Derek Berggren test out games at Incredible Technologies. 36 Incredible Technologies remains priWhen technician Mike Nitti told his vately owned by Hodgson and Ditton, who boss he was moving with his family to have shunned venture capital and have Florida, the company didn’t want to let him been “cash flow and sweat equity-based,” go, so he became a field service technician Hodgson said. That means the firm’s for the casino games for clients in Florida. growth and evolution has been slow and Then, when Nitti had back problems, steady — ideal conditions for workers the company found a less physically looking to stay with a company for the long strenuous job for him, acting as a jack-of-all run. trades. “Some companies might have said, The team includes an array of skilled ‘Well, we don’t have anything for you to do.’ workers, including designers, illustrators, They worked with me and here I am, six engineers, customer service representayears later.” tives, technicians and programmers. For several employees, happiness is the Staffers say they are happy to settle in and flexibility offered. ANTONIO PEREZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE grow their careers at the 33-year-old Caitlin Harte, a product marketing company, and some have worked there for manager, shrugs off her sometimes twoLead quality assurance employee more than two decades — a few for 30 years hour commute between her home in Andrew Hanson works on the Golden — an anomaly in a constantly evolving Chicago and the company’s Vernon Hills Tee home edition game. technology business. headquarters. That’s because she enjoys “I say we try to hire tens because tens her work and at least once a week she can Ownership: Private will hire tens and maybe nines,” Hodgson work from home. Website: www.itsgames.com said. “If we hired sixes and sevens, they What’s more, the company encouraged Company description: Amusement might hire fives and fours.” Harte to pursue an MBA, and offered to and casino gaming. There is no punishment for failure, help pay for it. “They said, ’We see a future Year founded: 1985 employees say — rather, it’s a learning for you here, we want you to better opportunity. “We don’t do anything that’s Chicagoland locations: 1 yourself,’ and they would do that for every going to take down the mothership, but we employee,” she said. Chicagoland employees: 200 do try things and if they don’t work, we say, For technician Walter Warren, it is the From the survey: ‘OK, what did we learn from that?’” company’s generosity that has kept him “The product we produce is fun.” Hodgson said. there since 2015. Last year, Warren’s “They trust me and let me run!” Staffers say they remain at the company, basement was flooded. The company gave despite other opportunities and sometimes him an interest-free loan to help him fix it long commutes, because leaders regularly reward them for up. “A loan like this is available to anyone,” he said. “They their hard work and they’ve found that’s not a given at other genuinely care, you just don’t see that (at other companies).” companies. It goes beyond the ice cream socials and food trucks the company brings in regularly, staffers say. crshropshire@chicagotribune.com 37 YOUR 5'1on. OUR HEADLINES. it Celebrate special moments with custom article plaques from the Chicago Tribune. Tout your business achievement! 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