With 41 full-time and two part-time employees, Olsson Associates Inc. offers a traditional 401(k) plan, in which employees are full vested immediately, profit sharing and partial coverage of employee health premiums. Employees also can take advantage of paid maternity and paternity leave and tuition reimbursement on work-related courses. In addition to flex time, employees only work a 36-hour workweek, with Friday afternoons off.
Editor’s Note: Answers provided by spokeswoman Nancy Wichmer.What do you find makes your business a desirable place to work?“We are several mini businesses with an entrepreneurship attitude, rolled up into one larger, unified consulting engineering firm called Olsson Associates.
“The unique company structure centers around the team concept. Each team is focused on a discipline while functioning with a high level of autonomy and responsibility. Since most projects require a multidisciplinary team, relationships between the teams are collaborative rather than competitive. This encourages proactive coordination of workloads between offices and regions – identifying opportunities to share staff and utilize the right staff for the job. The result is the client service of a small company, with the professional resources of a large company.”
What tools does the company use to recruit and retain staff? “We are keenly aware that today’s young engineer could be tomorrow’s Olsson employee. By involving ourselves at the ground level with local schools in their career fairs, technical presentations and assisting with senior design classes, we are able to cultivate those young minds while having the opportunity to become in touch with bright, new talent.
"Olsson believes if you build a great culture, then you will attract and retain the best talent. Numerous personal and professional development programs enrich and challenge our employees throughout the year.”
What methods does the company have in place to solicit employee input? “Employees have the opportunity to give feedback in a number of ways including employee feedback sessions, where randomly-selected employees are asked to participate in one-on-one sessions in numerous office locations throughout the year; employee experience surveys sent to all employees on an annual basis, to learn how employees feel about their personal experiences at Olsson; feedback from their supervisors through one-on-one discussions and have the opportunity to share their input during performance reviews; and the opportunity to talk with their supervisors about their future career plans on an annual basis.”
Work vs. life – how does your company help employees strike a balance between the two?“It’s not all work – we also know how to have fun. This culture is a large part of what makes Olsson Associates a great place to work. We hold a number of activities for employees to participate in outside the workplace. Some of these activities include periodic happy hour gatherings, a traditional summer float trip and holiday parties.
"Our flexible schedule and ability to work from home helps staff balance the demands of life outside the office. With busy personal lives and hectic schedules, it is understandable that employees have to take care of certain errands and appointments during the workday. Olsson Associates allows employees up to two hours of flex time per day that they can use without having to take any personal time off."
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