The best place to work
By Michelle Long, Blue Ridge Business Journal
Access simply won't forget where it started, how far it has come and how far it wants to go.
From the incubator beginnings of founders Tony Pearman and Todd Marcum to its nearly 10 years on Denniston Ave. in Roanoke, the company has grown "from a handful of clients to more than 500, with 60 percent growth since 2003," says Senior VP, Terri R. Jones.
There must be something to the nearly 400 professional organization awards the company has won in its short life. But that's not why Access' 12 employees think it's the Best Place to Work. Perhaps it could be the company-sponsored cruise to the Bahamas or the limousine rides parties, or the endless supply of free beverages, nuts, fruit and M&Ms in the kitchen. Not to mention the myriad of parties, tubing and rafting adventures, free indoor parking, and even a basketball net on the back patio.
An in-house review panel consisting of Journal staff members evaluated reader- nominated finalist applications from 15 separate companies. The Best Place to Work award is given to a business with a minimum of three employees located in the Blue Ridge Region. Preference is given to businesses that are "for-profit" and those based in the region, though non-profits and those with a home base elsewhere have a shot at it. The recognition is non-scientifically evaluated based on the following six criteria: job satisfaction, ethical standards, community contribution, employee development and support, product/service leadership, and quality of life/environment.
Job satisfaction
Access PR maven Terri Jones' passion is evident when describing the advertising and public relations company's focus on job satisfaction, economic support and quality of life/environment. But the review panel overwhelmingly decided that although Access would be a fun place to work, that alone isn't enough to retain high quality employees. The company's low turnover rate is the best indication of the level of employee job satisfaction.
Appreciation for individual contribution and positive feedback leads to a strong sense of employee pride. "On any given day, you'll hear a whoop from someone's office about a new client, a project that was approved, a great placement in a publication and immediately get e-mails in support," she says.
Access' encouragement of diversity ranks high on Jones' list of reasons why. "In any agency, you have a mix of styles-from tattoos and piercing to button down oxfords, from new college graduate, to near retirement-and I swear in five years, I have never heard a backbiting word from anyone in the group," she says.
A spirit of independent thinking, sense of individual responsibility, camaraderie, and team synergy all contribute to the high level of job satisfaction, Jones says. The company's extremely low turnover, steady growth (at one employee per year) and impressive number of clients nationwide largely evidence the high level of job satisfaction.
Ethics
High ethical standards flow from top leadership, according to Jones: Access' founders Todd Marcum and Tony Pearman lead by example in the way they conduct their lives both personally and professionally. Also important to maintaining ethical standards is the transparency of information and the fact that once good employees are hired, they are free to monitor their own behavior. As one employee remarks: "There's an atmosphere of trust here-never the feeling that anyone is looking over your shoulder. That level of respect and trust instill a sense of pride and loyalty in our company that is rare in the workplace." Membership in professional organizations that enforce strict guidelines regarding ethical business standards is also a strong reinforcement of the company's internal code of ethics.
Community
Access' list of community contributions is seemingly endless. "There is not a non-profit organization in the community that hasn't benefited from Access' largesse," Jones says. Support spans across the gamut of local organizations like churches, cultural organizations, alma maters, Civitans and sports teams. It comes in the form of serving on boards, supplying free or deeply discounted work, and housing interns from local colleges.
The company is also a member of three local Chambers of Commerce, the New Century Technology Council, and The Roanoke Economic Development Partnership. In addition, she says, "Each employee is given the flexibility to choose an organization to support . . . And [we] recycle everything." Access' generosity extends to the national level including sponsoring a child in South America and having received more Mosaic awards (to encourage diversity) than any other agency in the state, Jones says.
Development
A generous benefits package includes dental/orthodontic and vision, company matching to a retirement program (a Simple IRA) even for their part-time employee, and a YMCA membership to promote a healthy lifestyle. At Access, there's no need for recognition and awards, Jones says jokingly: "We don't have one of those Employee-of-the-Month award systems. Todd and Tony have cultured such an environment of support and trust that singling out an employee would almost seem crass. Bonuses, however, are regularly dispensed and appreciated, but are not tied to a traditional award ceremony."
Scheduling at Access is relatively flexible, "If someone has to leave, they just leave and end up making up the time," she says. But they are not "required" to do so. There is a strong sense of allegiance to the notion that everyone pulls his or her own weight. The company also pays for employees to attend any seminar, class or program that supports their career.
Quality of life
Here is what some of the employees had to say about the working environment: "Open door policy is a reality here. Management always has time for questions, ideas, [and] concerns. Management even proactively comes to [the] staff to ask if we have questions, etc."
"How many people work where laughter-make that guffaws-often emanates from all corners of the building. That makes us feel good even if everyone doesn't know what the laughter is all about!"
"Access provides me with so much more than a paycheck. The level of professional and personal support that I receive is unparalleled in the working environment. I wake up every morning excited to start a new day. I'm not sure I shouldn't be paying them to work here."
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