NO. 1 SMALL COMPANY
3-TIME WINNER
Private financial services and insurance consulting firm based in Dallas, with one D-FW location and 54 local employees
Pinecrest Consulting says the key to its exemplary, “work hard, play hard” environment is its employees. “We’re always focused on hiring the right people, having them contribute to the culture we look to build and taking their ideas seriously,” said Rivka Simon, the company’s director of people.
Rather than “being blown away” by candidate resumes laden with experience and titles, she added, Pinecrest is most interested in learning about the human being behind the CV. Its ideal employee is positive, happy, hardworking and open to feedback.
The Dallas company — which focuses on insurance, benefits and financial services consulting to small and midsize businesses — prides itself on offering competitive salaries and excellent benefits. It also provides employees with “a lot of fun things,” Simon said.
Among them: a fully stocked break room with an Xbox, a huge chessboard and massage chairs. There’s also a weekly, all-hands catered lunch. “We sit together, play games, get to know each other, and we always have a blast,” Simon said.
It’s an innovative atmosphere that reflects Pinecrest’s approach to business. The firm earned the special award for new ideas by scoring highest of all our Top Workplaces on this statement: New ideas are encouraged at this company.
Pinecrest offers “a supportive environment to bring ideas and then [takes] charge of making them happen,” one worker said. According to another, “I love to solve problems and I love to connect with people, and being able to solve problems by connecting with people is a dream come true.” Said a third, “I am well supported, my ideas are considered and we embrace ‘work hard, play hard.’”
For example, Simon said, the company has listened to employee suggestions to add new folders, columns or views to Pinecrest’s customer relationship management software. At the request of workers, the company has created new, cross-departmental Employee Resource Groups, including ones for learning and development and health and fitness.
Pinecrest has also bolstered its offerings thanks to worker recommendations, adding whole new lines of business — specific types of insurance, for instance, or tax services. All that has helped Pinecrest grow. While the company offered two or three lines of business a year or so ago, it now provides seven.
“We’ve been on a great growth trajectory, and there are no plans to slow down,” Simon said.