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Decision-making: Joe Derhake CEO and founder of Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. (Hot Firm #9 for 2018), a 700- plus person engineering and environmental due diligence consulting firm.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
“T here’s no boundary between entry-level and senior- level staff,” Derhake says. “Good ideas come from all over and we’re constantly reaching into the organization to ask and listen for those ideas.” A CONVERSATION WITH JOE DERHAKE. The Zweig Letter: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around? Joe Derhake: Our mission is internal – to be the best home for talented professionals in our field. Our core strength comes from those who are a part of our team, and we be- lieve it’s imperative that we grow from within whenever possible. To fulfill this mission, we provide competitive ben- efits, opportunities for training and certification for verti- cal advancement, and a supportive, collaborative peer en- vironment. For example, three times a year we fly recent new hires to our headquarters for a New Hire Summit for training, and more importantly, to get connected to each other, senior leaders, the culture, and our mission. We also have a robust
“Partner University” training program that includes cross- training and career advancement events throughout the year, as well as more than 400 on-demand training assets. We encourage mentoring at all levels. Since we spend so many of our waking hours at work, we try to foster an environment where people want to work hard together, and then celebrate together. Each office is empow- ered to do different things to inspire people to have fun. For example, birthday and holiday celebrations, wellness programs like yoga, weekly fruit day, and Habitat for Hu- manity build day are all things that bring people together. Peers give each other awards and recognition each month for teamwork, expertise, accountability, and other values. There are also a few corporate philosophies that I think shape our culture into a place people want to stay. They in- clude: ❚ ❚ Accessible leadership. There’s no boundary between entry- level and senior-level staff. Good ideas come from all over and we’re constantly reaching into the organization to ask and listen for those ideas.
THE ZWEIG LETTER Febru
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