Awarded as an employer of choice through designations including “Top Workplaces,” “Best Places to Work,” and others is an inspiring tribute to the workplace culture we have at Perficient, one that we continue to build upon each day.
In 2020, Perficient saw seven workplace wins — two more than the year prior — which proved even through a pandemic, the footing of our culture is unshakable.
One key reason for this success is attributed to all the employee committees and engaged leadership who combined their efforts towards transitioning employee experiences typically held within office walls to virtual events and activities.
A Year of Workplace Wins in Atlanta
Perficient at the “Top Workplace” Awards at the Georgia Aquarium.
In February, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution named Perficient in the “Top 150 Workplaces in Atlanta,” even coming in #22 out of the 65 businesses in the Small Company group. Colleagues recalled culture-building activities like Friday lunches, table tennis tournaments, golf outings, and more events that would soon come screeching to a halt the following month.
As lockdowns started and remote work began as the world stepped towards an indefinite future, what would happen to that winning Perficient culture? Would it survive?
Atlanta colleagues responded to that question with their August win from the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “2020 Best Places To Work” awards. There’s no stopping this team!
But everyone knew this celebration was not going to be like ones in the past; no doughnuts welcoming colleagues to the office or awards celebration in a fancy venue. Not skipping a beat, colleagues applied the same innovation and integrity that powers our clients’ success to creating an inclusive and meaningful celebration of their own.
Just like the drive-through birthday parties and baby showers that were adopted to promote socially-distant celebrations, Atlanta colleagues chose their own drive-through festivity and virtual photo challenge, demonstrating Perficient truly is a “Best Place to Work.” These “Work From Home” selfies were then compiled into a single collage signifying that even while apart, they are a unified group.
Perficient Hosts Six Winning Workplace Locations
In addition to Atlanta’s two wins, both Minnesota and St. Louis were named as 2020 “Top Workplaces.” Later in 2020, our Charlotte office was named a “Best Place to Work” by the Charlotte Business Journal, the Detroit Free Press named Perficient a “Top Workplace,” and we continued our reign as one of the “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in Chicago” in 2020. Let’s take a look inside to learn more about the workplace culture of some of our winners.
2020 Charlotte Business Journal Best Places to Work
A wall of windows floods the work area with daylight and displays a scenic view of the bustling Charlotte metropolis.
The Charlotte team recently relocated to a new office space that is designed to encourage networking and team building throughout the workday, with feedback already describing the atmosphere as “entrepreneurial and exciting.”
“Our Perficient Charlotte colleagues are a talented, motivated group of people who embody the One Perficient mindset and set of values every single day. The local leadership team has been so welcoming and inclusive of our colleagues who live in the area but are attached to other business units. Whether it be hosting happy hours, organizing community service events, or holding all-hands quarterly business update meetings,” said Raj Merchant, director of Data Solutions.
Go inside the Charlotte office to see how the team enjoys giving back to the community through volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, Men’s Shelter of Charlotte, or helping with landscaping in the classroom garden at a local school. They also have a history of enjoying social outings like Carolina Panthers games or company happy hours at Lower Left Brewing Co., which is owned by business consultant Lori Jane Shoenthal’s husband. It’s no wonder this office was named a “Best Place to Work.”
2020 Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces
Pre-COVID, Detroit colleagues gather for a group photo.
After winning the 2019 “Top Workplace” title, the Detroit office held it another year — one year unlike anything anyone had ever seen. What the Detroit team found was the COVID-19 pandemic actually brought them closer as they rallied together to adapt to this new form of work as quickly and successfully as possible. It was their strength and resilience throughout this difficult time showing why they are a “Top Workplace” in 2020.
Many Detroit colleagues describe the team as their “second family” and their office as a home away from home (during pre-COVID times). The office culture committee is active in planning various virtual get-togethers such as game nights, happy hours, and craft nights to keep people engaged and excited. Teams genuinely enjoy working with one another, and this camaraderie, matched with their strong work ethic, makes the office a great place to work.
Tom Phillips, an associate technical consultant in the Detroit office, credits his fellow teammates with his own career growth after completing the Perficient Campus Program. “I was really scared to do a total 180-degree career shift into a world I didn’t know. At Perficient, everyone welcomed me with open arms though and I’ve been able to grow more confident.” After the program, he got placed on a project where he experienced different roles including automation engineer, AEM/React developer, and had the opportunity to create a QA plan for the project. In less than ten months of learning how to code and starting his career, Tom launched his first major project.
2020 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in Chicago
Chicago colleagues are known for how much they give back to the local community.
No stranger to representing Perficient as a “Best and Brightest Company to Work for in Chicago,” our Windy City colleagues have earned this award several times over the past few years.
This is due to their outstanding work ethic, incredible team, and commitment to the Perficient culture. Katherine Lin, lead technical consultant, explains, “I see my fellow Chicago colleagues go above and beyond on a regular basis, putting in extra effort to help out their teammates and make clients happy. This culture of caring has contributed so much to my growth as a consultant and software engineer. I’m also proud to work alongside people who truly care and invest time outside their project to try to create a workplace that is inclusive and serves all our peers equally.”
Chicago colleagues are passionate about what they do and are always looking for ways to get involved in activities both inside and outside of the company, hosting several events for employees over 2020. Thrilled to be “Best and Brightest” winners, colleagues plan to keep their strong culture and work ethic alive for years to come.
“My colleagues in Chicago go above and beyond in their work, uplifting others both in and outside of our community,” confirms Laura Vicinanza, associate technical consultant. “We have a lively, close-knit office culture reflected in our active social and service committees. My colleagues take pride and ownership in our work, going beyond client expectations and encouraging the personal and professional growth of others. I’ve grown insurmountably as a consultant, software developer, and person since I joined Perficient’s Chicago team just a year ago.”
Perficient is incredibly proud of all of our colleagues and the support and dedication to our company culture each of them show each day.
At Perficient, we continually look for ways to champion and challenge our talented workforce with interesting projects for high-profile clients, encourage personal and professional growth through training and mentoring, and celebrate our people-oriented culture and the innovative ways they serve Perficient and the community.
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