The 2013 list: top 33 medium companies to work for in Oregon

Our annual ranking of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon turns 20 this year with more than 13,000 employees participating. Oregon Business research editor Brandon Sawyer and DHM Research calculated the rankings based on employee surveys and a benefits report from each company. The size category is based on the number of Oregon employees.

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Our annual ranking of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon turns 20 this year with more than 13,000 employees participating. Oregon Business research editor Brandon Sawyer and DHM Research calculated the rankings based on employee surveys and a benefits report from each company. The size category is based on the number of Oregon employees. 

 No. 1 Medium Company: Slalom Consulting

 Consulting can be savagely competitive, but this Portland firm manages to retain top talent, even as it rapidly grows headcount. “We have recruited the best people in our industry and tackle the most challenging problems of our clients,” says an employee. “And after we succeed, we celebrate.” This includes a Guy Fawkes party at the GM’s house, poker nights, family picnics and  “Partiamo,” a weekend retreat at a resort with team activities like rafting and a giant party. Says one employee, “I know their spouses’ names, kids’ names, and pets’ names and they know mine.” The firm is family friendly, even providing $4.000 adoption assistance. Employees praise its delivery on mission, transparency and receptiveness. A voluntary employee board helps shape local strategy. The firm invests heavily in staff development and incentives, providing $2,000 a year for off-site training, 8-12% annual bonuses, milestone bonuses of $2,000 -$50,000 and spot bonuses of $1,000-$10,000, as well as a four-week paid sabbatical every three years. Loyalty is rewarded after four years tenure with even more bonus, extra time off and a special retreat. Sponsored teams at Hood To Coast and Wild Canyon Games, as well as an annual fat loss contest boost fitness and camaraderie. One employee sums it up as “a great place to get a broad set of experiences in a short amount of time.”

This is its fifth consecutive year in the 100 Best, and second year in a row as number one.

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 No. 2 Medium Company: Delap LLP

 In a thrifty profession burdened with grueling crunch times, this public accounting firm in Lake Oswego tallies its balance sheet generously in favor of a healthy work/life balance, allowing employees to work four10-hour shifts in the summer and telecommute, as well as investing in standing desks and a ping-pong table for much-needed breaks. Scavenger hunts, trivia nights, and go-kart races also bring staff together. One employee is grateful that, “Every year the firm provides meals during busy season and healthy and nutritious snack options to help compensate for the fluctuations in our work load.” Meanwhile professional development is fostered with continuing education, tuition reimbursement, and mentoring between employees at different career stages. Management nurtures and cares for each individual. According to one, it’s the “definition of the type of company that provides the best of both worlds, where an employee can have a great career with great possibility for advancement while also being home every night with your family.” The third-generation family-owned firm has a long tradition of listening to workers, one of whom says simply, “A voice that’s heard is empowering.”

This is the company’s first appearance on the 100 Best list.

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No. 3 Medium Company: Ruby Receptionists

 This Portland company took a lonely office position considered tedious, low paying and thankless and transformed it into a joyful community eager to make every client’s day. Employees say they are paid well, and enriched both professionally and personally. One employee credits a “culture that encourages us to see happiness as our greater mission, even above the bottom line.” Such happiness is contagious.  “Coming to work is like being hugged by 100 wonderful people all at once,” says another.  They are routinely drilled in party skills with a summer cruise and what some claim is the best holiday party on the planet. Smaller shindigs abound like ‘Fashion Fridays’ where they dress up according to a theme complete with a photo-shoot. Recently, the company introduced a five week paid sabbatical after five years. Notes an employee: “This includes a $1,000 grant to make your dreams come true as well as counseling sessions with our happiness expert to help you figure out how to make the most of that time away.” Desk-job tedium is combated with yoga, cardio and Zumba classes in a huge new fitness room. Asked how the company could improve, workers are hard pressed. “Water slides,” suggests one. Perhaps it’s because they practice WOWism, defined by one worker as, “the ability to wow a client by fulfilling even their unexpressed needs.” Well, it’s obvious management has been sneaking sips of WOWism, to employees, too.

This is its fourth consecutive year on the list, and third time in the top 10.

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