Being open to new ideas and showing associates that their voices matter were cited as the reasons why Choice Recovery finished atop the list in a survey of the top workplaces for small companies, conducted by Columbus CEO magazine.
In demonstrating how the company listens to employees, the magazine told the story of China Morgan, an employee at the collection agency convinced the company’s CEO, Chad Silverstein, that he needed to create a director of compliance position, and that she should get the job.
Her proposal helped convince Silverstein to create the position and promote Morgan.
From the report:
Today Morgan not only runs the department, she supervises two other employees. “It’s amazing,” she says. “There is nothing stopping anyone here. If the company needs it, [Chad] will never stop you. He’ll create a position. He’ll create a salary for it.”
The agency has fostered a culture of feedback and innovation. Employees who develop good ideas, conduct the necessary research, and present the idea to management are likely to get what they are asking for, said John Olmstead, the agency’s chief operating officer.
The company wants to be “rewarding and challenging,” Olmstead said. And that can only happen in an environment where positive and negative comments are not just allowed, but encouraged.
