When I was an intern in college, I remember thinking, "wow, these free snacks are such a treat." Little did I know that I was missing out on so much more from a work environment. Nowadays, the bar is set so high that it’s barely a blimp in the sky. With startups offering impressive amenities like game rooms, unlimited paid time off, trips abroad, catered meals, shuttle buses, and even onsite gyms, how does a candidate even begin to know which place is the best place for them?

Take it from someone who works for a company that has actually been awarded a Best Place to Work (BPTW) many times over -  it’s all smoke and mirrors unless you can find the right balance of work, culture, and life. So what does it take to win and sustain multiple BPTW awards? While there’s no simple formula, and every company’s situation is varied, I’d like to think of these as the key building blocks that form the foundation of a desirable office environment:

Take Your Time, Be Extra Picky

I’m sure you’ve heard about the extensive hiring processes at some of the major tech companies, like Google's 9+ step process, for example. It’s insane to think that a hiring process can span several months but there’s a good reason for it. At pMD, we may not reach the level of a 9-step process but ours is certainly as thorough and comprehensive. We choose to do it this way not with the intent to intimidate but to find that special candidate who can ultimately accept any challenge, think analytically, engage with customers on a meaningful level, and interact seamlessly with the team. In short, we’re extra picky about who we recruit because we want the absolute best and brightest who’s passionate about improving health care and becoming an integral part of our pMD family. We also appreciate a good dad joke here and there. Got any?

Reward Your Team, They Work Hard!

According to a recent article by Training Journal, “staff are any organization’s most valuable asset and [...] need to be nurtured, supported and encouraged if they are to be successful”. I couldn’t agree more. pMD does a great job of rewarding not only individual performances but also performance across the entire team. With our quarterly and annual assessments, we can look forward to rewards like cash incentives, cabin leases in Lake Tahoe, a day at the spa, a day spent racing cars on a track, a new coffee machine for the office, dinners at upscale restaurants, credits to purchase your favorite bottles of wine or spirits, and even trips to tropical destinations. Your team should know they’re valued, so showing your appreciation by way of incentive, big or small, is always a show of good faith.

Focus on Career Development and Transparency

I think one of the biggest mistakes a company can make is to neglect the professional development of its employees or better yet, to not make that its biggest priority. Building a successful company and successful team starts with nurturing at the individual level. However, as the Atlantic points out, simply having a mentorship program in place is not grounds for successful career development. Providing transparency from all directions - from management, from mentor, and from mentee - can help a mentorship program thrive. What does that mean exactly? It means having clear expectations of the responsibilities of both the mentor and mentee and providing an open feedback channel between the company, mentor, and mentee. pMD’s mentorship program begins on your first day in the office and continues throughout your entire career at pMD. At any given moment, you can be both a mentee and mentor and that’s where I think pMD gets it right. You’re continuously learning while at the same time passing down the knowledge you’ve learned.

Let Them Eat Cake

Literally. Remember that your employees have to eat too. In between meetings. During that time of day called lunch. And one of the best things you can do to nourish your team while they work towards company goals is to provide them with catered meals, healthy snacks, beverage options, and treats for special occasions. Not having to decide what to bring for lunch or venture out for 30 minutes to stand in a long line for a $15 salad makes my time (and wallet) that much more efficient. One of my favorite pMD food perks: birthday treats. We celebrate every single  team member’s birthday with a treat hand-selected by the birthday person and shared with the entire team. It’s getting harder and harder to come up with unique ideas after options like s’mores, pies, milkshakes, root beer floats, churros, ice cream sandwiches, cronuts, cupcakes, and your classic birthday cake have already been taken!

Stress the Importance of Wellness and Family

Namaste. Wellness means more than just providing a place to meditate. The term wellness can encompass everything that leads to a balanced life. There's financial wellness - providing your employees with a robust retirement plan and annual bonuses. Physical wellness - employees receive exceptional health benefits and a private meditation, lactation, or yoga room. And even mental wellness - providing your team with the assurance that taking time off work to take care of family or personal matters is not frowned upon. All of these are essential in creating a stress-free, balanced work-life environment. Our team is like our family and their family is like our own. And there’s nothing more we'd want than to ensure our family is well and happy.

Finding that balance and knowing that you're part of a team who can all sit together at lunch, build strong bonds while traveling alongside one another on business trips, create an extensive bank of inside jokes, celebrate each other's differences and similarities, sing karaoke together until 1 in the morning, and just overall have the best time, is what makes any company the best place to work.

Want to join our Best Place to Work family here at pMD? Contact us at careers@pmd.com!

Find out more about pMD's suite of products, which includes our MIPS registry, charge capture, secure messaging, clinical communication, care navigation, and clinically integrated network software and services, please contact pMD.

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