NO. 1 SMALL COMPANY
FIRST-TIME WINNER
Marketing and branding firm based in Irving, with one local office and 73 D-FW workers.
Show up any weekday morning at the headquarters of Alphalete Marketing, and you’re likely to be greeted by the pervasive, percussion-driven strains of joyful salsa music. It’s the firm’s soundtrack of choice as it works through its two- to three-hour morning routine, which typically includes team meetings and announcements at a companywide get-together.
The announcements often feature special recognition for team members who’ve excelled in their work. “If the previous day a rep did a big job, we want to recognize that. They get a chance to come up in front of the other reps and explain what worked for them, and we all cheer for them,” said JD Mascorro, Alphalete’s office manager. “There’s a lot of that — making someone feel excited for doing a great job and giving them recognition. It’s such a small thing. But doing it every single day, I think it makes a big difference.”
The D-FW employees at Alphalete — an Irving-based, third-party marketing firm — represent clients such as AT&T and energy provider Just Energy to consumers shopping for the clients’ products at local retailers. Thee marketing firm employs sales reps as well as a good number of managers and trainers, all of whom are promoted from within.
“We found that upward mobility is something that people really care about,” Mascorro said. Performance incentives include the sales commission structure, dinners out for teams that hit their sales goals, road-trip opportunities and year-end bonuses.
Alphalete won our special award for communications, with staffers giving the highest score among the competition on this survey statement: I feel well-informed about important decisions at this company. “They have open communication and are considerate of my opinion, and I honestly feel valued,” one employee commented.
Mascorro said the company’s communications style is a result of “failing forward” and “learning from our mistakes.” For example, “there were times I didn’t handle communications as well as I should have,” he said. “But now we have some experience under our belts.”
Staffers also praised Alphalete’s team spirit: “I have never had a job before where a positive environment is so carefully constructed. Every day I get to be surrounded by positive people who want to grow in their life, and it makes me excited for the day.”