Best Companies: Wizards of the Workplace

It’s not exactly Undercover Boss, but Jessica Jackson learns a lot when she visits Revolution Custom/Civil Builders workers at job sites.

Jackson, office manager at the Issaquah-based general contractor, surprises workers with lunch once a month. She hears questions and concerns she never expected.

“We are pretty shocked at what we learn,” Jackson says. “Normal, everyday questions such as health care benefits, people didn’t get medical cards, questions on vacation pay, or other items that come up.”

That’s just one way Revolution keeps in touch with employees, and it’s working. The company notched the highest score, regardless of category size, in Seattle Business magazine’s 2024 list of Best Companies To Work For.

A survey by software company Quantum Workforce found that 66% of employees say their culture has a positive influence on their daily work and behavior. Employees who say their culture is positive are almost four times more likely to be engaged in their work.

Seattle Business magazine asked executives at six of the highest-scoring companies — two from each size category — to discuss the top elements of organizational culture; how culture creates engagement and leads to retention; and what advice they have for companies seeking to create a more positive work environment.

The executives are: Mutual of Enumclaw CEO Eric Nelson; Christina Balam, head of human resources at Impinj; Tony Johnson, president at Davidson & Associates Insurance; Vern Olson, president of Bob’s Heating and Air Conditioning; Patti Murphy, vice president of employee experience at Hayden Homes; and Revolution’s Managing Member and founder, JC Clementz.

Answers are edited for length and clarity.

Remote, in-office, or hybrid?

Murphy: We subscribe to a philosophy that flexible work is about responsibility and trust. We have both in-office and remote workers, and we regularly look for ways to have in-person gatherings and events to foster a supportive and caring culture, while at the same time trusting team members to conduct their work without rules or policies that strictly dictate where and when they perform their duties.

Olson: While we do offer opportunities to work from home as needed, we believe in the value of presence in the office to ensure teamwork, camaraderie, and a positive company culture. In addition, being a service and construction-based business, our field team members must be in the field, hands on, every day. We feel it’s the right thing to hold our office team to the same expectation.

Johnson: We are primarily remote, but try and connect as a team for events that build relationships. The team is welcome to come into the office should they choose. We even have a massage chair to relax our employees after a stressful situation. Did I mention that our office is dog friendly?

Balam: We trust each team to determine when they need to be in the office together. For people that come to the Seattle headquarters, Impinj launched a transportation program to support hybrid work. Our hybrid work committee explores ways to ensure employees both in the office and working remotely are heard and valued.

Clementz: We believe that people coming into the office aligns more with company values. We don’t really offer remote or hybrid space, and we communicate that prior to hiring people. We believe we work better as a team, and there really isn’t anything you can compare with walking over to someone’s desk and asking a question or helping them solve problems.

How do you assess your culture?

Murphy: Participating in best companies’ surveys is one way. We monitor year-over-year changes. Our leaders conduct regular one-on-one meetings. We seek feedback from new hires at 30-, 60-, and 90-day intervals.

Clementz: We love to communicate here! We believe communicating with each other on what we are doing at this moment, where we are going, and what steps we need to get there go really far for culture. Another large step we believe in is for employees to help guide new employees and help answer questions. It’s great if you can lean over to your coworker and ask a question.

Balam: “Culture takes all of us” is the call to action we remind employees of often. We’ve built pathways for discussion through open Q&A at weekly all-company meetings, and small group sessions several times per month.

Nelson: The Pacific Institute Cultural Blueprint program identifies desired culture and perceived gaps. The Gallup employee engagement survey for the last 10 years. Seattle Business magazine’s survey allows us to see anonymous comments by associates. Various pulse surveys.

How do you integrate your values into everyday activities?

Balam: We work to equip employees with tools to “call-in” peers and leadership when a team member’s behavior diminishes someone’s experience.

Olson: Being a third-generation, family-owned business, we strive to uphold family values. We have many individual families working together within our large family. In fact, everyone on our management team (with the exception of specialized roles like our controller and HR manager) has come up in the organization and worked their way into their leadership roles.

Murphy: We start every meeting sharing “Give As You Go” and “Cared For Customer” stories, which reinforce the core values that we embolden our team members to live each day

Nelson: We have four what we call “Quality Standards” developed in conjunction with the Disney Institute: Ethical, Responsive, Personal, Efficient. We build these into all of our company communication.

How do you foster a feedback loop between managers and employees?

Olson: We have an online employee recognition platform, which allows for managers and team members to highlight when a group or individual has done a good job worthy of kudos.

Murphy: Our leaders are trained to hold one-on-one meetings at a regular cadence of at least every two weeks with their team members and to provide feedback through quarterly reviews. We recently implemented Lattice, a performance management system that allows for the one-on-one agenda to be shared between the team members and their leader often, with the team members driving the core content.

Nelson: There is a “Coffee with the CEO” meeting quarterly where all employees are invited to attend and ask questions about anything they want to talk about. A monthly communication called “CEO Chronicles,” where I give updates on what’s happening.

How do you manage office politics?

Murphy: Most team-building events have a “giving” component such as packing food for a food bank, shopping for school supplies to donate to families or building bikes for foster children. When the team comes together to do something impactful for the community, they are aligned around a meaningful purpose and the silos break down.

Johnson: Our team knows that upward management is encouraged, and feedback is always welcome.

Olson: We diversify our team members by moving them around to work in different divisions if the need arises. This not only helps us ensure the success of each division, but it eliminates silos and creates empathy and understanding for other divisions and how they operate.

Nelson: We don’t really have any. Our organization literally has multiple generations and family members working here, so gossiping isn’t really possible. You are probably gossiping about someone’s family member.

Any intentional focus you have on boosting morale?

Johnson: We have an agency event at least quarterly. Our team even started a book club, which is supported by the agency by providing a room, food, and drinks every meeting.

Olson: We offer rewards and incentives throughout the year. We raffle off tickets for concerts and sports events every month, host social events, and bring in meals or host office barbecues.

Murphy: The act of giving naturally boosts morale and when we do it together as a team, it fosters a sense of camaraderie, collaboration, and teamwork, which leave our team members fulfilled by the work they do.

Nelson: We have a “virtual connections team” made up of a cross section of employees that was formed when we began working remotely during the pandemic. Their mission is to connect people. They organize multiple events such as a “water cooler” hour, or a game show, or a masked singer event, etc. These are fun social events people can participate in that are not business related.

Clementz: Our weekly meetings focusing on fi eld productivity have also shifted to include all office staff. So everyone gets a few minutes to tell what they are working on to quickly address things. Another reaction is, “Wow, I didn’t know she/he had all that on their plate.” This meeting helps bridge the gap between the office and the field, and in our industry that is a huge win for everyone.

What employee reward/engagement systems does your company have?

Murphy: We celebrate team members at each meeting, highlighting stories of how they have embraced our giving philosophy and customer experience principles. We highlight wins in our newsletter, all-team calls, and at every in-person meeting or event.

Clementz: One of the best tools we use, and it happens to be one of the most fun, is our company teams chat. We post project photos, funny things we see, and everyone body gets to comment on it. One of our employees had to miss our company Chelan trip this year, so when our photo came back into the chat, another employee photoshopped him in it. It was pretty funny, so we could make sure he felt included because he had to miss it. It says a lot when employees stick up for each other.

Johnson: We have agency events at least once per quarter where we get together and bond, and we always hand out some sort of gift or prize to show appreciation. Our team is close-knit, and we are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.

What are your top perks?

Clementz: Every September, we are fortunate enough to take our employees and families to Chelan. We have Friday night pizza and then host a dinner at a winery. We do not have any company meetings. This weekend is targeted as a break for the employees and not work. We just say, “Enjoy the weekend with your families.”

Nelson: MoE (Mutual of Enumclaw) perks is a buying discount application to give discounts on a wide variety of products and services. An onsite gym. A discount on personal auto and home insurance.

Balam: I believe the real perk is building something meaningful, whether through our products or internal programs focused on adding value to our work environment.

Olson: We provide regular, paid training to advance their careers and help them get certified or licensed in their field. We thank our team members for their contributions to our success by rewarding them with mid-year and holiday bonuses.

Murphy: Our team member home purchase discount that allows team members to purchase a new home at up to $50,000 discount is one of our most unique and valuable perks. We have over 100 team members who have taken advantage of this opportunity. Another unique perk is our sponsorship of the Hayden Homes Amphitheater, which allows each of our team members and their families to enjoy live music concert experiences, complete with food and lodging, in Bend.

What significant challenges have you had to overcome to create your positive culture?

Olson: Once the worst of Covid was over, reestablishing collaborative meetings, fun gatherings, parties, and shared lunches, etc., took a little longer to reenergize than I expected. But we continued to drive its importance, and didn’t let the fact that it was easier to not do these things keep us from providing them.

Johnson: Talk is cheap when it comes to culture. It is about action and how we treat the team and each other.

Clementz: If we have employees that aren’t fostering the core values or have difficulties in some areas, we sit down with them, discuss it, try to understand it, document it, and then give them another chance to clearly understand and identify our intentions. If we don’t see improvements, we move on to another option. That also sets a tone for accountability.

Balam: We have nearly doubled in size since the beginning of the pandemic, and we have employees all over the U.S. and in 14 countries. Cultivating a culture of connection and trust, where our employees feel they can show up as their most authentic selves, takes focused effort. This is especially true when half of our employees may have never met their peers in person. We consistently evaluate and implement new ideas and methods.

Nelson: Having to deal firmly with people who are not aligned with our values.

What advice would you give to companies that want to improve their organizational culture?

Balam: Team culture is built through intentional work. It requires that everyone shows up in many ways. Trust, two-way communication, and courage to take risks are all important ingredients.

Olson: It starts at the top. If it’s important to you as the owner, it will become important to your team. Play to your team members’ strengths by assigning specific tasks to certain people that promote the culture you want, and then be consistent about it. If you celebrate someone’s milestone, expect to always celebrate that milestone when others reach it. As much as you externally market your company, it’s just as important to internally market your company. Sell your company to your employees.

Johnson: Be deliberate and make culture a big part of the hiring process.

Murphy: It is so much more than pounding nails and raising walls. If companies can get their team unified around a common purpose, their culture will be the catalyst that takes it to another level.

Nelson: Career skills can be taught. A caring culture must come from within. Use storytelling to create context of defining the values and their importance.