If there is one thing the high-tech boom of the late '90s will always be remembered for, it is extravagance. This is especially true of how the industry attracted and retained talent. New hires were offered everything from free snacks to onsite arcade rooms to stock options. Today that boom is all but a distant memory. What remains are the companies that followed solid business plans and relied on more traditional methods of recruitment and retention. One such fiscally responsible survivor is Deploy Solutions, a Westwood, Mass.-based provider of human resources software.
Deploy chose a different approach to growing its talent base, eschewing lavish perks to reinvest in their infrastructure while relying on more cost-effective and proven workplace practices, such as recognition programs, open communications and teambuilding. That's not to say that the high-tech industry's extravagance wasn't an influence.
In 1997, one of the company's earliest employees came up with the idea of presenting the "Employee of the Month" with a car – a toy BMW, that is. Each month employees nominate someone for the award, and the winner is allowed to hold onto the car until the next month's honoree is named. The company communicates the name of the winner and why he/she is being honored via their intranet site and a broadcast e-mail. In addition, the company recognizes top performers with "Reel Cool" awards, an all-expenses-paid night out at the movies. Once again, employees play a significant role in recognizing each other, nominating their peers for this monthly honor.
"One of the things that I think is really unique about this organization," says Human Resources Manager Barrie Piazza, "is that our recognition efforts are done at the grassroots level." More importantly, explains Piazza, is that these programs have played a key role in reinforcing the company's values as nominees are judged on how they embody Deploy Solutions' "Guiding Principles." The Guiding Principles are a set of core beliefs that directs Deploys conduct and, according to CEO Nicole Stata, are an integral part of the organization's success. "It is critically important to demonstrate our expertise in hiring, development, deployment and retention as it relates to the growth of our organization as we seek to sell solutions that support those initiatives," Stata says. "That's what I call competitive advantage."
Stata founded Deploy Solutions in early 1997. Later that year, when the company reached a critical size milestone of 30 employees, Stata convened a two-day, companywide offsite meeting to set their values down on paper. The company's Guiding Principles includes statements dealing with honoring commitments to key stakeholders, furthering the success of customers, honest and open communications, maintaining a positive working environment, and promoting a healthy work/life balance. These values are not very different from those espoused by many companies. What sets Deploy Solutions apart is the attention they pay to promoting these beliefs and the degree to which their employees have internalized them. For example, the nomination for July's employee of the month, software engineer Keith Champoux, referenced three of the company's Guiding Principles: "We are respectful, open, and honest in all of our communications and relationships," "We adapt and are flexible in the pursuit of excellence," and "We make and meet aggressive and measurable commitments." In addition to the recognition programs, the company's performance reviews rate employees on how well they are adhering to the Guiding Principles. "They are not just there for PR," says Controller Eileen Rocchio. "They really mean something."
The company places a heavy emphasis on communicating the Guiding Principles to their employees on an ongoing basis. Because communication is a two-way street, Deploy Solutions also uses multiple avenues to get employees' opinions on everything from benefits to how they work together. These include an annual employee survey, quarterly meetings and exit interviews. The employee survey has proven a particularly effective means of gauging employee satisfaction with the company's benefits and programs, allowing Deploy to eliminate costly programs with little interest among the staff, while adding others of more value. For example, the company used to provide employees free snacks and beverages. With the recent economic downturn, employees asserted via the employee survey that the money committed to this perk would be better spent on increasing staff. Conversely, the survey led to the creation of the organization's community outreach program, which provides employees with the opportunity to be involved in local causes. The program, like most others at Deploy, is employee driven with both staff and managers serving on a volunteer committee. Currently, Deploy is providing volunteers for an agricultural and urban-renewal program called the Heifer Project. The Heifer Project provides livestock to poor communities and teaches sustainable, environmentally sound agricultural techniques.
Of all of Deploy's Guiding Principles, the emphasis on promoting work/life balance has had perhaps the biggest impact on the satisfaction and retention of key personnel. Deploy provides a progressive paid-time-off program, a flexible working environment, an employee assistance program, and a paid family care leave program. Senior software engineer Peter Mularien says that the family care leave program has already made a big difference in his life. When his daughter was born he took part of his leave and then modified his work schedule for a transition period thereafter, allowing him to help his wife and bond with his newborn.
While the software industry can demand some heavy hours, especially when a new product is being rolled out, Mularien says that the company is conscientious about the work/life conflicts people face. "We're under a lot of pressure to deliver results to customers in a timely manner," he says. "Having a flexible work environment makes people more willing to put in extra hours."
Company: Deploy Solutions
Web site: www.deploy.com
Industry: Software
Location: Westwood, Mass.
Number of employees: 150
Sales: N/A
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