No. 4, five–24 employees: Gaskin Hill Norcross Architects-Engineers

But the project that company President Charles Hill is most proud of doesn’t involve a new building or a well-known company’s expansion.

The most important thing his company has done, Hill said, is build a family atmosphere in the office.

“I know it sounds trite, but we want to be a team of people that works together comfortably,” Hill said of the company’s 14 employees. “We all have our home life first and our business life second. By that philosophy, people who have a good home life and are happy at home are going to bring more to the table at work.”

That philosophy is one of the reasons Gaskin Hill Norcross is No. 4 on Springfield Business Journal Inc’slist of the Best Places to Work for companies with less than 25 employees.

One example of the “family first, business second” model is the company’s overtime policy. It’s simple: There is no overtime, except in extreme emergencies.

“We used to do a lot of overtime, but when people know they’re going to have to work overtime anyway, they’re not as productive during the day, and they don’t feel as rewarded,” Hill said. “A little extra money for overtime doesn’t give you back the time lost with your family.”

That family atmosphere goes along with many of the other incentives and benefits the company offers – 401(k) accounts to both full-time and part-time employees with 100 percent matching contributions; flexible spending accounts; insurance for caring for aging parents; and more than two weeks per year of paid vacation time for employees.

It is also one reason the company has low turnover rates.

“I had someone leave last month, and that was the first time we’d had anyone leave in a year,” Hill said. “Before that it had probably been four or five years. We’re very lucky … we very seldom have anyone leave.”

Southwest Baptist University has used the firm’s services since 1970, according to Hill.

Other institutions that do business with GHN include the city of Springfield on the Jordan Valley Ice Park, the University of Arkansas, People’s Bank, and Asbury Methodist and Trinity United Methodist churches.[[In-content Ad]]