What makes a company the “best” to work for? With the growing trend of companies offering employee perks beyond “casual Fridays”, like boot camp and yoga after work, or break rooms with video games, I was eager to find out what the “secret sauce” is for the local South Florida business, Ultimate Software.
It was founded in 1990 by Scott Scherr, and carries the tagline, “People First.” Ultimate Software is ranked #21 on FORTUNE magazine’s 2015 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. And three years prior, Ultimate was ranked #20 on FORTUNE’s 2014 list, #9 on its 2013 list and #25 on its 2012 list.
I had the pleasure of interviewing the Vice President of Communication and Public Relations, Darlene Marcroft. Darlene began working with Ultimate Software in 1999 and contributes to the overall brand, market outreach, and sales support. I kept my questions brief and to the point, yet gathered valuable insight.
AMM: How did it come to be that Fortune named Ultimate Software the “Best Company to Work For?”
Darlene: “We have had a People First company from day one. Scott, the CEO, created that vision and everyone who joins, including me, wants to be a part of it. We learned about FORTUNE’s award, applied and have placed every year since we submitted, which is a true honor.”
AMM: What is the “secret sauce?”
Darlene: “Our leadership is authentic. Scott and Vivian Maza, our Chief People Officer, care about people and do so many things behind the scenes to take care of them that not everyone sees. We really put “people first.” Everyone is very hard working, yet calm, nice and friendly to each other, and you can even see it best when the ‘chips are down.'”
AMM: What leadership practices or programs does Ultimate Software implement to create a culture where people want to work?
Darlene: “Scott likes to say that we should ‘Walk the talk.’ We provide ways for employees to communicate in online forums, have open-door policies for managers and offer a forum for the LGBT community, all of which help develop trust. We focus on appreciation by recognizing and celebrating teams. And we think of the little things, such as on-site massages.”
AMM: Last year, Bain & Company, a management consulting firm released results from a study it conducted of how and why women’s career paths differ from men’s (US gender parity research). It found that women’s aspirations to progress to top management dropped 60% within just a few years of entering the workforce. It highlighted the importance of supporting growing talent within companies, with an emphasis on women’s needs. What does Ultimate Software do to support its female employees?
Darlene: “We always try to promote from within and grow our employees internally. We support our female employees in creating the ‘work-life balance’ that many women strive to create. And we have a group called, Women in Leadership, so we can mentor women at Ultimate as well as young women in the community who may have the talent to work in technology.”
AMM: What other advice would you give to executives creating a culture of the “best place to work?”
Darlene: “Company leadership should make it a primary goal for its managers to take care of their people, communicating openly with them, appreciating them, helping them grow and, generally, creating a pleasant work life.”
Ultimately, I think “appreciation” is the name of the game, and that it must start and be continued from the top. “Appreciation” is not a tangible thing, therefore it becomes very important for companies to implement practices that say, “We value our people.” It used to be that getting a gold watch at your retirement party meant that you were a VIP, then corporate culture progressed to casual Fridays or half day Wednesdays in the summer, however now, employees are expecting practices that emphasize the quality of their work life.
In what ways do you appreciate your employees or does your company show appreciation to you?
