by Matt Oxley
Striving to build a culture that empowers all employees is a labor of love. We see the evidence of Opal’s positive culture on every Zoom call – and in every anonymous employee survey. However, being recognized for creating a standout work environment from an outside source is an honor. Earning that exclusive recognition two years in a row feels twice as great! That’s why I’m so proud to announce that Opal was voted the 6th Best Place to Work in 2022 by The Oregonian!
How We Earned Our Place
The Oregonian determines who earns a spot in their list of top workplaces by comparing anonymous employee surveys to a database of 27 million responses. They sent questionnaires to our entire team and tabulated all the results – once again, deciding that Opal was one of the few to earn this accolade.
These are the key tenets of what The Oregonian looks for in the businesses they consider. See how their pillars matched up with the feedback of real Opalites from our last survey:
Align: Where the company is headed, its values, cooperation, effective meetings
The benefits at Opal demonstrate through action that they value their employees. I also feel that though we have a strong culture, we are constantly trying to make it better. Everyone always shows up and is constantly trying to improve.
Connect: Employees feel appreciated, work is meaningful, working at full potential, clued-in to each other
There’s a tremendous sense of camaraderie and desire to build up each other – and to propel Opal to greater success.
Coach: Managers care about concerns, are helpful, encourage employee development
We foster an atmosphere where all ideas and feedback are welcome. Opal allows people to own their work, trusts everyone’s decision-making, and always pushes for your personal development.
Performance: Execution, open-mindedness, innovation, clued-in leadership
Transparency with leadership and feeling empowered by leadership is really unparalleled to other organizations I have worked at. I continue to be impressed by them and how much they care about the company and employees.
Final Thoughts
Workplace culture is something you both see and feel. It’s how conversation flows before a meeting and it’s the level of safety any employee feels to share their beliefs – even in opposition to what their manager thinks.
I want to conclude this with appreciation. I want to say thank you to The Oregonian for recognizing – and most of all – thank you to our incredible Opal team.