Marquette Group (101-250 Employees Award Category)—a $150 million Peoria-based advertising agency focused on interactive, print Yellow Pages and direct marketing for national clients. Their “people practices” have positioned them as a leading directional marketing agency in North America.
Marquette Group is so committed to its employees that even their mission statement focuses on “employees first,” knowing that a strong employee base is necessary for overall success. According to Liz Inghilterra, vice president of human resources, when asked about what makes Marquette Group an employer of choice, she replied, “Family culture—taking care of one another, camaraderie, etc. At Marquette Group, our employees work hard, but they have a lot of fun working.”
Highlights of great practices include:
- Strong emphasis on hiring—getting the right person in the right seat.
- Multiple programs which focus on career development paths, including a career development/rotation program.
- Commitment to learning and development through classroom and leadership training, as well as online recognition programs and employee opinion surveys.
eServ (Over 250 Employees Award Category)—a Perot Systems Company began as an engineering company focused on computer-aided design and has evolved into a full-service product engineering firm. Since 1999, the company has grown from five people and $500,000 in revenues to 450 employees and $43 million in revenue with customers worldwide. The success of eServ can be directly attributed to the founders’ passion for engineering, their dedication to partnership with their clients and their strong work culture. They instill the overriding goal of providing the highest quality engineering services at the most cost-effective price in all employees.
According to eServ CFO Scott Miller, when asked about what sets them apart as an employer, he replied, “Living by their motto, take care of each problem or issue one at a time. The goal is for the employee to leave more motivated than when they came into the office. It is a chance to get on the right page.”
Highlights of great practices include:
- Employee Service Center (eSc)—replaces the typical HR function in most organizations as a way to most effectively serve their largest employee base—engineers. Knowing what motivates engineers and understanding the generational differences led to eSc receiving a 90 percent satisfaction rating in 2006. eSc services include: employee relations, engineering administrators and concierge services.
- Communication by Walking Around—focuses on people interaction in a highly technical work environment.
If you would like to learn more about the best practices of these companies, visit the EA website at www.eaconnect.com. IBI