LeMaster Daniels named one of WA's Best Workplaces by Puget Sound Business Journal
Firm among top 20 finalists in state's large businesses
LeMaster Daniels was named as one of 20 finalists for Washington's Best Workplaces (large businesses category) by the Puget Sound Business Journal.
The program was launched in 2007 to identify and recognize best practices in the hiring and retention of great people. After an extensive and rigorous process, which included the completion of surveys by nominee-company employees across the state, workplaces in four different categories were identified as Washington's best, based on their various employee benefit offerings, leadership culture and work/life balance philosophies. In total, 66 companies made the grade as finalists (65 spots with one tie).
LeMaster Daniels placed as a finalist because of its culture of openness and honesty, community giving, exceptional benefits, learning and development programs, flexible work schedules, out-of-the-ordinary rewards and perks, and high rate of employee satisfaction.
“We’ve set a goal for our firm: we want to make LeMaster Daniels one of the state’s best places to work,” said Scott Dietzen, CEO of LeMaster Daniels. “The greatest employers have workplaces and cultures that respect and accommodate the needs and circumstances of their people. At LeMaster Daniels, that means providing meaningful and challenging work, allowing latitude for family and personal commitments, and creating good practices and policies designed to withstand the test of time.
“It’s because of these things – and because of the great people we hire – that our firm has been able to weather our current economy,” Dietzen added. “In fact, we’re still hiring and growing, and we have some aggressive growth strategies in place for the next few years.”
Alice Hardin, LeMaster Daniels’ director of human resources, said the employee-friendly culture has business benefits too. “When you support your people as individuals, you’re able to cultivate whole employees who can add imagination and innovation to skill, taking us and those we serve to greater heights of success.
“It also makes us more attractive to prospective employees in a competitive recruiting environment,” Hardin said. “It gives us a leg up in hiring the industry’s best, which is critical, and it helps us hang on to those great employees for years after they’ve been brought on board.”
“Work-force development has never been more important – or more difficult – than it is in today’s global economy,” said Emory Thomas Jr., publisher of the Business Journal. “We believe the Business Journal, as the Puget Sound area’s top source of business information, has an important role to play in drawing attention to innovations and excellence in the management of our region’s No. 1 resource: its people.”
The finalists – 21 small companies, 20 medium-sized companies, 20 large companies, and five nonprofits – were celebrated at a one-of-a-kind awards event at Safeco Field on Aug. 20. Honorees and the public alike were invited to cheer for the workplace accomplishments of these companies. The celebration included ballpark food and drink, walking the bases, speed pitching and an awards presentation.