NO. 2 MIDSIZE COMPANY
3-TIME WINNER
Business advisory firm based in Dallas, with one local office and 237 D-FW workers.
After one of its clients was acquired by a public company, business advisory firm Embark faced a challenge. The acquiring company, it seemed, knew next to nothing about how Embark had shepherded its client through a challenging post-acquisition phase that included staff shortages and audits. Spotting a chance to clarify and strengthen the relationship with the public company, Embark staffers swung into action.
When one of the acquirer’s team leaders casually mentioned she and her friends were planning to attend a Taylor Swift concert, an Embark employee came up with a thoughtful, personalized gift: a signature Lavender Haze cocktail inspired by Swift’s song “Lavender Haze,” complete with drinking glasses and a recipe card.
The team leader expressed her appreciation (in all capital letters!) for the unique gift, solidifying Embark’s relationship with the public company and laying the groundwork for future opportunities. The thoughtful staffer also became the subject of a “WOW! of the Week” story in Embark’s Slack channel, a regular feature the firm uses to praise its people and promote its culture.
“Our highest priority is caring for and supporting people,” said David Harner, Embark’s Dallas market leader. “We go above and beyond for our people and for our clients. It’s a win-win scenario for us.”
One way Embark seems to treat its employees well is by listening and responding to their concerns and new ideas. Indeed, the firm scored the highest of any workplace in the Top Workplaces D-FW competition when it came to agreeing with this statement: New ideas are encouraged at this company.
“Our leadership teams always say that if we have an idea that makes sense and supports others within our company, then they will do anything they can to support us through implementation,” one employee told us.
Exactly that happened not long ago, when the firm’s “consultants’ council,” which meets regularly, heard from staffers that they could use a raise. A substantial raise for all consultants soon followed. “It was all about making sure our people are taken care of, making sure they can support their families and making sure we’re doing what’s right,” Harner said.
Employees hailed the firm for practicing what it preaches. “Embark takes exceptional care of me, which motivates me to take exceptional care of the people around me as well as my clients,” said one.
Opined another, “The opportunities for growth, development and achievement are endless.”