Like millions of Americans, last May found Ryan Hanson and Andrew Leone, cofounders of on-demand courier service Dispatch, heartbroken over the news of George Floyd’s death. Based just miles away from where Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the duo recalls being especially concerned about how their 113 employees were feeling.
Hanson and Leone decided to host an hour-long Zoom conversation, during which employees were invited to share their experiences, feelings and perspectives on racial injustice and discrimination. A few months later, the leadership team introduced a new initiative called LEADD—Leadership, Engagement, Alignment and Development at Dispatch—as well as monthly employee meetings on topics related to equity, inclusion and diversity. The long-term goal: Understanding how to move from being a “not” racist organization to being an “anti” racist organization.
“For me, personally, it's been some of the most valuable work we’ve done,” says Hanson, the startup’s chief revenue officer. “It’s critical that we expand our definition of employee care. It doesn't start and stop at 9 to 5.”
These actions, among others, helped Dispatch land at No. 6 on Forbes’ list of the Best Startup Employers. Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to identify the up-and-coming companies liked best by their employees in our second-annual ranking of America’s best startup employers. The list was compiled by evaluating 2,500 American businesses with at least 50 employees on three criteria: employer reputation, employee satisfaction and growth.
For No.1 Hiya, reputation and employee satisfaction are top of mind. The Seattle-based caller ID and anti-spam service doesn’t just promote company values, but also a set of “anti-values,” says founder and CEO Alex Algard. These “anti-values” include things like “office politics” and “settling for the B team,” both of which Algard is vehemently against.
“We are big believers in trusting our employees. We give them a bit more flexibility than they are accustomed to,” Algard says. “We are not governed by process and well-defined structure in everything we do. We just let our employees loose, and delegate and trust in them.”
As a result of the pandemic, Hiya gave its employees a spending allowance (doled out on a case-by-case basis) to use for home office equipment or a coworking space.
Courtesy of HiyaThere may be just one exception to that rule: Though the company has always had an unlimited vacation policy, late last year, a member of the Hiya executive team noticed workers were not making use of it during the pandemic. “They just weren't taking any time off, and they were probably doing it because they don’t have any place to go,” Algard says. “It got to the point where it was a problem.”
He decided to take matters into his own hands, enforcing time off. Starting this year, Algard has declared the last Friday of every month a holiday and shuts down the (currently virtual) Hiya offices to encourage employees to take time for themselves.
He’s also tried to keep morale high with digital events, such as a virtual escape room experience, and by maintaining traditions, including Friday team lunches, for which workers are given a “Grubhub allowance.”
Dispatch also doubled down on employee experiences during the pandemic, creating an employee focus group called the DREAM Team (or Doing Really Exciting Events Monthly), through which virtual bingo tournaments and doughnut deliveries to coworkers’ homes have been organized, says Natalie Johnson, Dispatch’s vice president of human resources.
Prescription skincare startup Curology, ranked No. 4, has taken similar steps. The San Francisco-headquartered employer has offered its 700 employees remote flower-arranging, cocktail-making and watercolor-painting classes, as well as virtual visits to the zoo, says Lindsay Putzer, vice president of people and culture.
Much like Hiya, Curology has also continued its free-food perk. Employees are given $150 a month to spend on lunch or home-office expenses, and an additional $50 a month for wellness expenses, whether that be a Peloton membership, massage or mindfulness app.
“Everyone understands right now that we are in a weird time, and it can’t be the same as when we are in person,” Putzer says. “As a team, everyone is really trying to do their best and be really supportive, helpful and collaborative. I’ve heard a ton of appreciation.”
For the full list of America’s Best Startup Employers, click here.
Methodology
To determine the list, Statista identified 2,500 American businesses that had been founded between 2011 and 2018 and employ at least 50 people. All companies considered had been started from scratch and not spun out of existing enterprises. Statista evaluated each organization based on three criteria, the first being employer reputation. The firm reviewed articles, blogs and social media posts pertaining to each employer, searching for specific phrases, such as “corporate culture,” “diversity” and “employee engagement.” Statista then assessed employee satisfaction, evaluating online reviews, as well as growth, examining the organizations’ website traffic and headcounts over a two-year period. The final list ranks the 500 employers that boast the best employer reputations, employee satisfaction and growth.
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March 09, 2021 at 09:40PM
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Meet America’s Best Startup Employers 2021 - Forbes
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