The Value of Being Valued

Staff from the human resources and other departments at Allyis relax in the company breakroom. Left to right: Kristy Law, Sarah Um, Tim Simon, Anne Fairchild, Mark Dawson, Julia Thompson, Brian Heiges, Hillary Dobbs, Sheri Turner.

In the world of business, there are a few universal truths
among employers: that hiring and retraining new workers is far more expensive
than retaining existing ones; that employees who feel recognized and empowered
are far more productive than those who dont; and that the quality of the customer
experience is directly related to quality of the employee.

At the Kirkland offices of Allyis, a technology consulting,
development and staffing firm, these truths are the foundation of an
award-winning corporate structure. Founded in 1997, Allyis has grown into one
of the regions premier Enterprise 2.0 consultancies. The companys remarkable
employee benefits and cooperative atmosphere have earned it the top spot in
this years midsize category, an honor that Allyis also won in 2008.

Allyis founders Richard Law, Ethan Yarbrough and Ken
Eftathe companys CEO, president and principal consultant, respectivelyhave
created a workplace in which employee recognition and engagement are paramount.

From the day we started this company, we knew we wanted to
make it a place where wed want to work, Law says, and a large part of that
centered on always doing our best to retain the human connection.

Allyis helps its clients manage massive amounts of content
by creating search and content sharing systems that are based on the
fundamentals of social media. Much like Facebook and Twitter, Allyis systems
allow relevant content to bubble up to users within the process. To deliver
that functionality to its customers, the company implements tools like
Microsoft SharePoint, intranet portals and employee blogs.

So its no surprise that Allyis has used those same tools
within its own walls to foster employee collaboration, recognition and
productivity. The firm has a robust intranet site with blogs, team sites and
discussion boards that facilitate interdepartmental communication. Transparency
is key here as well: Allyis executives make themselves available to employee
queries via an online forum and twice-yearly town hall-style meetings. The
company publishes its financials every month; employees can query management on
that or any other aspect of the business through an anonymous web portal.

But Allyis commitment to employee recognition runs deeper
than a digital resource. In 2003, it redirected the majority of its marketing
budget toward employee services and recognition. The companys 183 employees
are consequently among the most satisfied workers youll find anywhere in the
state.

Our employee care and employee recognition efforts are the
formal mechanisms to make sure that the recognition of the work done at Allyis
happens in a reliable and timely fashion, says Law. Good intentions are not
enough if theyre not acted on and prioritized within an organization.

Next: Midsize Companies, Second Place.

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