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March 4, 2019 BEST PLACES TO WORK IN CONNECTICUT 2019

The Walker Group's team culture translates to happy employees

Employees and managers at The Walker Group believe in a fun and relaxed work environment that could include playing giant Jenga and having dogs in the office.
By John Stearns

Winner: Small/Medium Cos.

The Walker Group

Headquarters: Farmington

Industry: Technology

Website: www.thewalkergroup.com

Twitter: @WalkerIT

Top executives: Jessica Rich & Todd Bailey, co-Managing Partners

New employees who join The Walker Group notice right away there's something different about the company, according to Jessica Rich, co-managing partner of the Farmington-based technology and digital marketing consultancy.

By about the second day they'll say something like, “ 'You guys really like each other, don't you?' ” Rich said. “It's true. It's not just an act.”

That culture is one thing that stands out to Rich and others.

Perhaps Walker's No. 1 differentiator is being a benefit corporation, or social enterprise, Rich said. The firm has distributed $400,000-plus toward social impact since it was officially designated a benefit corporation in 2014. It distributes a third of its profits to the community, primarily reSET, a nonprofit Hartford social enterprise incubator for impact-driven businesses and other startups, and a third each to shareholders and employees.

“By us helping reSET do their work, they're helping hundreds of entrepreneurs, which is helping stimulate the economy, create jobs and help solve social problems,” Rich said.

The Walker Group's culture is key to its success, she said, calling it a big family (about 40 strong) — not too big, nor too small. Employee fit is everything, so Walker is very selective in its hiring.

Taking great care of that family translates to great care for clients, she said.

So, Walker focuses a lot on employee culture, benefits and morale. There are impromptu “ring-the-bell” gatherings: A bell is rung and personal or company achievements are celebrated. Rich will leave a closed-door meeting in her office to join in because celebrations matter.

Walker does bigger recognitions at twice-yearly staff gatherings, closing the office to review business, but also recognize employees with special awards, including gift cards and cash, for going above and beyond, Rich said.

Other culture-contributors include walks around the building for mind-clearing, exercise or fresh air. Rich sometimes conducts informal meetings with “Walker walkers” while taking the stroll.

“The conversations change when you're moving instead of sitting across a desk from each other,” she said. “Ideas flow, you get to know each other personally more.”

Participative governance

The Walker Group also surveys its employees twice yearly for feedback and asks some repeat questions to ensure progress.

“It's almost never that we see anything that's a surprise because it's such an open environment here,” she said, noting Walker addresses issues frankly and quickly to prevent problems.

Employees have a financial stake in Walker's performance through its stakeholder program. After working at least six months and meeting certain criteria, employees can be voted into the program by other stakeholders, giving them shares used for profit distribution and voting on certain matters. Additional stakeholder levels, based on performance, include more shares for profit distribution and voting.

“When we have big decisions to make as a company, we do it with not just our top managers, we do it with our stakeholders,” Rich said, calling it participative governance.

Walker benefits include 100 percent medical premium payments for employees. Fun includes informal, optional gatherings each Friday afternoon for refreshments, giving appreciations and decompressing.

New benefits rolling out this year include paid parental leave and, for certain stakeholders, flexible time off, “so no more traditional capped PTO,” Rich said.

Employees not on the unlimited plan will get benefits like a day off for a birthday or rescuing a pet. Also, new hires now get three weeks of vacation plus five personal days starting day one.

Adam Baxter, a senior network specialist who joined Walker in 2008, said he values the opportunity for growth and learning at the company. Colleagues drop what they're doing to help him if asked.

“There's no one at the company that feels, 'No, I can't share this with you because you're going to take my job,' ” he said.

Baxter enjoys the company's culture and size. It's a family, but there's balance to enjoy his home family, too, and he likes having a voice.

“I can say, 'Hey, look, I think we should do this,' and we're agile enough that I can change that and the company is very receptive to that,” he said.

Brendan Kelly, an account executive since 2017, enjoys the open-door policy and horizontal organization chart with Rich and co-managing partner Todd Bailey. Leadership is incredible, he said.

Walker also is dynamic, able to respond quickly when necessary and clients love Walker's “white-glove service,” Kelly said.

That team culture? It's real.

“I've been in some other cultures where it doesn't feel like that, it feels like there's as much competition internally as there is externally,” Kelly said. “Here, we're just focused on beating our competitors as a group.”

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