Top Workplaces 2020

TOP WORKPLACES 2020 OF GREATER AUSTIN

COVID VS. CULTURE Austin-area employers adapt during outbreak to preserve workplace culture

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CONTRIBUTORS EDITORS: Barry Harrell Kirk Ladendorf

At Austin’s top workplaces, employees feel valued, informed

WRITERS: Kirk Ladendorf, Kara Carlson PHOTO EDITOR: Nell Carroll PHOTOGRAPHER: Mark Matson SECTION DESIGNER: Design Center - Gannett

O N T H E COV E R Representing some of the top-ranking employers on the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project are, from left: Alice Washburn of Pediatric Healthcare Connection; Kelvin Glover of Realty Austin; Wendy Howell of Cisco Systems; Babie Spain of Power Remodeling; Brittany Davis of the Texas Association of Counties; and Sandra Altmeyer of Cirrus Logic. COVER PHOTOS BY MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN

The Texas Association of Counties is the No. 1-ranked midsized employer in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. Employees Rachel Sanchez, Courtney Govea and Jerome Hill meet on the fourth-floor patio at the agency’s headquarters in Austin.

[MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

What are the best places to work in Central Texas?

For the 11th consecutive year, the Austin AmericanStatesman is helping to answer that question.

After surveys were completed at 127 area companies, the Statesman has narrowed the list to 100 employers worth of Top Workplaces designation. The surveyed companies employ more than 49,000 people in the Austin

area. Of those workers, more than 29,000 completed the survey questionnaires.

The surveys and the selection process were conducted

by Energage, a Pennsylvaniabased company with long-standing expertise in employee engagement surveys.

The Statesman solicited nominations for Top Workplaces, but the newspaper does not know which surveyed companies did not make the list of ranked employers. That was

designed to encourage companies to participate without risking embarrassment if they didn't make the list.

Energage asked workers to rate their employers on such issues as: leadership and direction, ethics and values and how well employees are treated.

Based on 2020 survey results, people are looking for much more than a paycheck when they choose where to work.

They want to feel wellinformed about important

decisions at their company.

They want to believe their company is going in the "right direction." They want to be able to work to their full potential and they want employers who encourage a good work-life balance. They also want to feel that their jobs are a part of something meaningful and that they are genuinely appreciated for the work they do.

And Austin workers who were surveyed tend to be See TOP, Q31

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COV E R S T O RY

COVID VS. CULTURE: Austin employers adapt during the outbreak

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a wrecking ball for large swaths of the U.S. economy this year.

Millions of U.S. jobs have been lost since February.

Thousands of businesses have closed. Restaurants and bars have been hammered. So have airlines and much of the travel industry.

Despite the economic damage, many businesses in Central Texas have been able to improvise and adapt in order to push forward in the midst of the pandemic.

They have asked employees to make new sacrifices and, according to some workplace surveys results, many of those workers feel even closer and more appreciative about their employers than before.

In Austin some of those examples of innovation include a home-grown semiconductor company, a major real estate brokerage and a vital service organization that works with the 254 county governments in Texas.

At Cirrus Logic, which has been a leading creator of lowpower high-performance audio chips, the task was to keep innovating and creating at a time when almost all its engineers were working at home.

For John Forsyth, who was named president of

John Forsyth, president of Cirrus Logic, says he’s proud of what his company’s employees have accomplished during the pandemic. “I am amazed by the way people have pulled together through this whole experience,” he said. [MARK MATSON / FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Cirrus Logic in January, the pandemic became the top priority almost immediately.

“You start a new job and have a laundry list of things you want to go and work on and almost immediately everything takes a giant left turn,” he said recently.

By late February, when it was clear that the virus was expanding rapidly, Cirrus Logic’s top management was racing to try to stay ahead of events. The company’s leaders decided Cirrus would test its internal communications

systems in mid March by having all but a very few people work from home and communicate by email, phone and teleconferencing over Zoom. By the day the test came, Forsyth said, it was apparent that workers would need to stay at home indefinitely while continuing to work hard on new products.

Communication with staff workers became critical for the executive team.

Employees messaged Forsyth and other managers

asking: Are you following this virus and do you share our concerns about our families?

“We were looking at the data and listening to employees and hearing their concerns,” Forsyth said. “We were trying to stay ahead of it as it was unfolding. If we worked really hard, we had the sensation that we were just 15 minutes ahead of the curve.

“When things were changing rapidly, we made it clear that the first priority was the safety of the staff,” he said.

“We put that at the front and center of all the decisions we made and figured everything else on the back of that.”

Forsyth and other managers realized that the situation was putting plenty of new stress on employees, who were having to navigate the changes to their jobs work at the same time they were coping with uncertainties that affected their families.

“Our products are very demanding and you add this situation where people are doing the same challenging engineering against deadlines that haven’t moved,“ Forsyth said. “I am amazed by the way people have pulled together through this whole experience. I am pretty sure that careers will be built on the back of this. Future generations of employees are going to be in awe of what people here did (during the pandemic).”

The Austin-based Texas Association of Counties, which provides vital information, support and services to the state’s 254 county governments, responded fast when concern about the coronavirus pandemic accelerated in March.

On March 11, the association’s executive team met and talked about possible action, but postponed a move. By the next day, the situation had changed and forced the association See CULTURE, Q30

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‘Cirrus culture’ helps company navigate uncertain times

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

Developing cutting-edge audio chip technology is challenging in normal times.

During a pandemic, things get even harder.

For Austin-based Cirrus Logic, the COVID-19 outbreak meant the company had to shift almost all its local workforce away from its stylish and hip headquarters on West Sixth Street downtown and adjust to remote working and lots of Zoombased communications. The shift happened in mid-March as the pandemic began spreading in the United States.

Lots of companies have shifted their communications to Zoom or other video call services, but most of them aren’t busy creating advanced low-power audio processing technology for mobile devices like cell phones and tablets. Cirrus has had to improvise.

While most company workers headed home, Sandra Altmeyer, manager of the company’s engineering labs, and her team, came to work at the downtown Austin offices every day. The labs are crucial resources for the company, where work goes on to test, evaluate and demonstrate its latest product prototypes and technical advances. The labs don’t just test the latest products; they also work with company engineers to create electronics demonstration boards that show new products in action for customers.

Altmeyer has worked at Cirrus for five years and says the experience is unlike any other place she’s worked.

The company has created a culture over more than a decade in which employees are recognized and valued in many large and small ways.

Surya Kolluru, foreground, and Ashwia Venkitram are engineers at Austin-based Cirrus Logic, the No. 1-ranked large employer in the AmericanStatesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. [MARK MATSON / FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

“This is the first time in more than 20 years in the semiconductor industry that I wake up every morning excited to go to work,” Altmeyer said. “You understand that there are pressures in the industry, but this is such a different climate that I have to pinch myself and say, ‘Yes, this is real.’ “ She said working in a largely vacant headquarters complex required some adjusting.

“At first it was weird that nobody else was here,” she said. “But my team being onsite enables other workers to stay home.”

If company engineers need to look closely at

product-related hardware, the lab can ship samples to them or let them use curbside pickup. Some engineers do visit the labs, but they must make appointments beforehand. The idea is to limit the number of people in the labs at any one time in order to provide for employee safety.

Altmeyer said the company has been very supportive. If the labs require new equipment to do the job better, the company quickly supplies it.

Lunch for the workers who remain on campus is paid for by the company and supplied by the Grove restaurant that occupies part of the ground floor of the headquarters building. It also provides free

virus tests at its on-campus clinic downtown.

“We have worked out the bugs for remote access to work better,” Altmeyer said.

When her labs need more people and more equipment to do expanded work, Cirrus has provided them. And it also provided a games package that she took home to her family one night. “They have been doing these things every month,” she said. “It’s really nice. This is a nice environment to be in.”

Drew Kinney, a marketing team manager who handles one of Cirrus’ major customers, says the adjustment process to remote working has been challenging.

His team includes technical workers who need to be in the labs, but there are strict limits to how many “visitors” can be in the labs without breaking the company’s pandemic safety rules.

So there are extra steps to be taken and appointments for his team workers to get in the labs to trouble-shoot various steps, like getting a new “demo” board to work perfectly.

The solution, Kinney said, has been “patience and creativity” -- with more planning and care steps taken to get things done.

“You have to be creative See CIRRUS, Q29

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Greater Austin Top Large Employers 2020 Top workplaces with 500 or more employees in the greater Austin metro area: Rank / Employer / What it does / Austin-area employees*

9. Continental Automotive Group / Auto dealership / 600

1. Cirrus Logic / Semiconductor industry / 800

10. Q2 Software / Software / 950

2. Cisco Systems / Information technology / 764

11. BigCommerce / Software / 553

3. Realty Austin / Real estate / 617

12. Teacher Retirement System of Texas / Pension fund / 795

4. Progressive Insurance / Insurance / 2,130

13. KIPP Texas Public School-Austin / Education / 722

5. Dell Technologies / Technology / 10,457

14. Accenture / Consulting / 3,807

6. Charles Schwab / Investment management / 2,263

15. General Motors, Austin IT Innovation Center / Automotive / 2,162

7. Silicon Labs / Technology / 736

16. Indeed.com / Online job search / 2,325

8. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts / State government / 2,055

17. SHI International / Reseller / 1,062

*Number of employees is as of Aug. 14, and is based on information provided by each employer.

Q10 Sunday, November 8, 2020

Cisco Systems keeps employees in the loop

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

When the Austin employees for Cisco Systems say their company is great at communications, they aren't kidding around.

First, Cisco is a world leader in making the hardware and software that runs computer networks, telecom networks and networks of other smart devices.

And in addition, employees say the high-tech giant really is good both at telling its workers what is happening and in listening and responding to employees and their concerns.

Cisco's Austin operation earned the No.2 ranking among large employers in the American-Statesman's 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Silicon Valley-based company's senior management has conducted global "all hands" meetings with upwards of 30,000 participants worldwide.

In those meetings, employees say, management talks candidly about the pressure and challenges that the company is facing.

"The commitment is to keeping us all informed and being very transparent," said Wendy Howell, chief of staff in Austin for the company's Americas business, which stretches from Canada to South America.

"The company is more transparent than I have ever seen," she said. "It is open to difficult conversations and healthy debate.

"Our culture is collaborative and work is extremely fast-paced and I like that. We work very, very hard, but we always try to infuse some fun into it."

The global company

Prasanthi Somepalli, a director of engineering operations for a Cisco Systems business group in Austin, says the company’s Austin workforce is “connected and grounded. The site comes together as a team and it feels like belonging to a family here,” she said. [MARK MATSON /FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

is enormous in size, but employees say the Austin operation, with more than 700 employees, is the right size for employees to come together for company events and community involvement projects.

"We love Austin," Howell

said. "It is one of the favorite places I have worked. It is a close-knit group and it has a family feel to it. We are focused on giving back to the community. We do a ton of work with nonprofit groups."

Employees at Cisco give a lot of credit to Stephanie

Quincy Hopkins, a 16-year employee of Cisco Systems, heads the African-American employee resource group in the company’s Austin location that, among other things, supports hiring and promotion of more Black workers within the company. “People like me can make a difference here. People are empowered here,” he said. [MARK MATSON /FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Mosher, an executive assistant at Cisco, who coordinates many of the community give-back programs in which the Austin operation is involved.

Prasanthi Somepalli, a director of engineering

operations for a business group in Austin, calls Mosher "the queen of everything" because of her support in helping employees become involved in community See CISCO, Q11

CISCO From Page Q10

activities.

Mosher, among many other things, puts out a regular employee newsletter for the Austin operation, which helps employees stay connected while many work at home this year because of the pandemic.

Somepalli says she especially enjoys taking part in a mentorship program that introduces and promotes engineering, science and math education among girls in local middle schools and high schools.

“What makes an impression on young minds is not just the cool things we do, but to share our lives’ journeys to be here and to tell them why it is not out of reach for anyone,” she said.

The program works closely with female students from

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schools in lower-income neighborhoods.

The company’s Austin campus is not huge compared with Cisco’s global operations, but Somepalli calls it “connected and grounded.”

“The site comes together as a team and it feels like belonging to a family here,” she said,”We work with each other to be connected.”

“I am happy,” Somepalli said. “I believe this is a good place. These are challenging times and challenging situations. We nevertheless are excited about being here.”

Quincy Hopkins, a 16-year employee of Cisco Systems, describes the company culture as “collaborative, hard-working and results-based.”

Hopkins, a former engineer with the company, now works with companies that resell Cisco products and technologies to their clients.

He provides them with advice on what elements of Cisco’s

product and technology offerings are best-suited for their needs.

Hopkins said he likes that his company supports inclusiveness among its various groups of people. Hopkins heads the African-American employee resource group in the company’s Austin location that, among other things, supports hiring and promotion of more Black workers within the company. The group joins with other resource organizations at Cisco for both employee events and community involvement.

The company runs a program called Next Generation Leaders that enables employees to join frank and frequently personal discussions with managers and executives aimed at making the company more inclusive.

“It has an impact on how I feel about the company,” Hopkins said. “People like me can make a difference here.

People are empowered here.”

Wendy Howell, chief of staff in Austin for Cisco System’s Americas business, says she values that the company is committed “to keeping us all informed and being very transparent.” [MARK MATSON /FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Q12 Sunday, November 8, 2020

Realty Austin thrives with ‘family environment’

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

The COVID-19 pandemic devastated plenty of Austinarea businesses in 2020, but many residential real estate companies escaped with only a glancing blow.

Tech-savvy real estate companies -- such as Realty Austin -- established new rules for their agents and clients and shifted much of their communications to Internet video-conferences and face-to-phone calls over Facetime and weathered the market slowdown that struck in March and April.

“Three months into the pandemic, the market started to come back,” said Carlos Ojeda, who has worked with Realty Austin as an agent for the past six years. “We are going to have one of our top years.

“More people from other locations have decided they can work remotely. People from California realized they can buy a nice house in Austin rather than rent a small house in California because they cannot afford to buy there. People are going to live where they want and Austin is a top location for them,” he said. “We are getting a lot of referrals from people moving from out of state. Even with the pandemic, the market is strong.”

Ojeda and other agents at Realty Austin say they like the brokerage for its collaborative culture and for its advanced software tools that enable them to automate part of their workload. The brokerage has invested in technology for years because it wants its experienced agents to work more efficiently so they can be more successful.

Realty Austin ranked No. 3 among large employers in the

Kelvin Glover says there is “a family environment” at Realty Austin.

“The owners really care about their people. They know their people,” Glover said. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Carlos Ojeda, who has worked with Realty Austin as an agent for the past six years, says that despite the pandemic, “We are going to have one of our top years.” [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

Realty Austin’s

management “moved to get ahead of the virus,” said agent Kelvin Glover, one of the firm’s top performers.

“We were already doing Zoom calls and virtual home tours even before the virus struck.”

The company closed its offices in March as the pandemic arrived in Texas. It reopened them in June, but closed again quickly with local cases of the virus rose.

It opened them for a second time in late August.

Some buyers, Glover said, agree to buy houses that they have only toured online.

The biggest challenge in the market, agents say, is a lack of enough homes for sale. The result is that good homes that go on the market

frequently are attracting multiple bids and sell for above the listing price.

While veteran agents praise the company’s advanced software tools, they say they also like its informal friendliness and its rapid response when agents need specialized information from managers or fellow agents. They also give high marks to the company’s involvement in charitable work and giving back to the community. In addition, they say they enjoy the way that Realty Austin recognizes achievements.

See REALTY, Q13

Sunday, November 8, 2020 Q13

REALTY From Page Q12

Glover said he was recognized in his first year with the firm for reaching $10 million in sales, but he did not reach top 10 status within the company.

“Every year since then, I have been on that stage” as a top 10 producer, he said.

During normal times, the company focuses on promoting collaboration in its group of more than 600 agents and employees.

“It is a family environment,“ Glover said. “The owners really care about their people. They know their people.”

Realty Austin has such a strong reputation for software innovation and support, that it has a steady stream of experienced agents from other real estate companies.

Both Glover and Ojeda had

“It’s easy to go to work when you are working with your friends.”

— Jen Arsaga

success at other large real estate firms before moving to Realty Austin where their businesses expanded.

Jen Arsaga, a seven-year veteran of Realty Austin, is part of the company’s support team, holding the position of agent success coordinator.

Part of her work involves training and assisting agents to make better use of the firm’s software tools.

“I have formed relationships with people all over the company to interact with them and to help them,” she said.

“It’s easy to go to work when you are working with your friends.”

Jen Arsaga, who has worked for Realty Austin for seven years, says she enjoys her job in part because “It’s easy to go to work when you are working with your friends.” [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Q14 Sunday, November 8, 2020

Teamwork, growth are watchwords for Texas Association of Counties

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

More than 50 years ago, the Texas Legislature authorized the state’s 254 counties to create a service organization to give themselves a helping hand. The result was the Texas Association of Counties, a nonprofit, non-political cooperative, designed to provide the state’s counties with legal support, insurance operations, education and training programs and other resources to run better and more efficiently.

Today, the Austin-based agency has more than 170 employees, many of whom say the association’s dedication to serving its members is huge part of what makes their work meaningful. They also cite its responsive leadership and its culture of collaboration and support among workers.

For the second year in a row, the Texas Association of Counties ranks No.1 among midsized employers in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

“We are a resource. We want to assist them with whatever questions they have,” said Amy Lawson, manager of the association’s education projects. “We will find the answers to those questions. We want them to succeed and be the best they can be for their communities and their constituents.”

The association conducts workshops for newly elected county officials that frequently involve sessions with veteran county officials talking best practices and what they wish they knew on their first day in office.

The association’s employees say they value the feedback and response they get from local government

Dirk Ruedas and Raul Martinez work together in the print services department at the Texas Association of Counties’ headquarters in Austin.

The Texas Association of Counties is the No. 1-ranked midsized employer in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

officials they serve.

“Meeting people is the rewarding part of the job,” Lawson said of the workshops her program conducts.

“Our members are so grateful and so caring. They are good people who want to do the best for their communities.

They are there to learn and we are there to help.”

The association runs its own liability insurance program that delivers cost savings to more than 200 Texas counties. And it operates a separate pool that purchases affordable health insurance for county public See TEXAS, Q22

Brittany Davis, a claims examiner for the Texas Association of Counties’ liability risk pool that works on behalf of more than 200 counties. “Management has been very good at listening to employees,” Davis said. “It’s been great for professional and personal development. I couldn’t ask for any better.” [MARK MATSON/FOR

Amanda Saldaña, payroll manager for the Texas Association of Counties, said that during the coronavirus pandemic, agency employees “have learned to have a lot of patience.” [MARK MATSON/FOR

AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Sunday, November 8, 2020 Q15

Greater Austin Top Midsized Employers 2020

From left, Trey Gonzales, Dante Clemons and Manijeh Noori are employees with the Zebra, which ranks No. 3 among midsized employers in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

[MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Top workplaces with to 150 to 499 employees in the greater Austin metro area: Rank / Employer / What it does / Austin-area employees*

15. FloSports / Sports media / 202

1. Texas Association of Counties / Government agency / 174

16. Pedernales Electric Cooperative / Electric utility / 228

2. JBGoodwin Realtors / Real estate / 435

17. Keysight Technologies / Information technology / 189

3. The Zebra / Online insurance marketplace / 197

18. Alchemy Systems / Training services / 194

4. Rogers-O'Brien Construction / Commercial construction / 175

19. SAM, LLC / Geospatial solutions / 329

5. Endeavor Real Estate Group / Real estate / 180

20. Amplify Credit Union / Credit union / 177

6. New American Funding / Mortgage lending / 234

21. Khoros / Software / 450

7. Qualia / Real estate / 170

22. Trellis Company/Waypoint Resource Group / Educational services / 386

8. NSR / Managed services and outsourcing / 162

23. People's Community Clinic / Health care / 286

9. Texas Water Development Board / Government agency / 325

24. Typhoon Texas Waterpark / Entertainment / 360

10. T-Mobile / Telecommunications / 217

25. WellSky / Technology / 216

11. Westminster / Health care - senior living / 247

26. Cox Automotive / Software development / 257

12. Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union / Credit union / 300

27. ESC Region 13 / Government-education / 255

13. AWL / Lead generation for insurance industry / 317

28. Panda Restaurant Group / Restaurant / 334

14. Auctane / Software / 375

29. RateGenius Loan Services / Financial services / 259

*Number of employees is as of Aug. 14, and is based on information provided by each employer.

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Q18 Sunday, November 8, 2020

In turbulent times, JBGoodwin Realtors remains steady

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

The COVID-19 pandemic slammed the brakes on the Austin real estate market in March and April, but the market roared back to life in the summer months.

At JBGoodwin Realtors, agents were happy about the rebound and about the sound advice and guidance their company gave them back in the spring when sales slowed to a crawl.

The Goodwin firm, a longtime stalwart in Austin real estate, ranks No. 2 among mid-sized employers in the American-Statesman's 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

Agents say the firm's management and fellow agents helped keep them grounded when the market slowed.

Agents shifted to online teleconferencing and social media in the spring both to communicate with each other and management and even customers.

Nicole Lang-Miller, who switched to a real estate career in her 40s, praised Goodwin's managers and fellow agents for lending support and guidance when the downturn hit, just as they have since she started at the firm about three years ago.

Lang-Miller used the firm's Facebook site to pose questions to managers and other agents.

She says she appreciated the guidance and encouragement that was offered.

The firm already was using Internet communications software to connect agents and managers online before the pandemic hit.

When COVID-19 showed up, it was time to extend See JBGOODWIN, Q19

Nicole Lang-Miller is an agent with JBGoodwin Realtors, which ranks No. 2 in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. The firm’s leaders “give you all the tools you need to grow,” she said. [MARK MATSON/ FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Sunday, November 8, 2020 Q19

JBGOODWIN From Page Q18

those tools to customers.

She expects to surpass her business results from 2019 and she expects to keep growing her business in future years.

"I have been able to support myself in the middle of a pandemic, which is amazing," she said. "Austin is an amazing market."

Lang-Miller calls herself "extremely happy with my experience" at the firm. She said she likes the helpful interactions she gets with fellow agents and managers.

"They give you all the tools you need to grow," she said.

"You are not coddled. You are empowered. I have found a home for myself here."

Tammy Gardner joined Goodwin as an agent 13 years ago and now is a company

“I like watching people grow and helping them succeed.”

— Tammy Gardner

vice president for Williamson County and the Lake Travis area. She works with dozens of agents.

“I like watching people grow and helping them succeed,” she said. “It gives me a good feeling to mentor people. I get them when they are new and bring them up.

It is a great feeling to watch their success.”

Her advice to agents was to assess their clients' comfort level in both home buying and home selling. Those who were more leery of going out to look at homes were given more virtual services.

Meanwhile the company set up safety standards to make

it safe for buyers to look at homes and for owners to sell them.

"Our local real estate market slowed down in March and April, but there was all this pent-up demand.

Clients told us they couldn't wait for the pandemic to be completely over,“ Gardner said. ”They needed to buy a house or sell a house. Our sales in June, July and August were ahead of last year."

Managers and agents stayed in close contact via videoconferencing as they depended on one another for company and market information.

"The conversations were longer," Gardner said.

"There was time to visit and help people with what they were going through. This has brought us all closer together.

“We always say that it's a family here and we help each other."

Tammy Gardner is a vice president with JBGoodwin Realtors. “We always say that it’s a family here and we help each other,” she said.

[MARK MATSON/ FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Q20 Sunday, November 8, 2020

The Zebra aims for worker-friendly environment

By Kara Carlson kcarlson@statesman.com

Trey Gonzales fondly remembers his first few months at the Zebra, an insurance technology startup, when he could catch a snack from the fully stocked kitchen, a coffee from the in-house barista or chat with co-workers over a game of Ping-Pong in the lounge during a break.

The office environment is a reflection of the company’s employee-centered way of doing business, he said.

“The culture, I think, is probably the reason a lot of people start to gravitate towards the Zebra,” said Gonzales, a licensed sales professional who joined the company in February.

The coronavirus pandemic has put a crimp in the Zebra’s worker-friendly office environment.

But even working from home, the company still feels united, he said.

“You still feel connected even though you're not seeing these people all the time,” Gonzales said.

The Zebra is an online insurance marketplace and digital agency, and makes a software platform that offers more than 1,800 car insurance products from over 100 companies nationwide.

The company ranked No. 3 among midsized employers in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

Manijeh Noori, vice president of engineering, the best part of working at the Zebra will always be the people.

Noori started at the company about six years ago as a project manager when the company had about 14 employees. Now it has about 200.

“What we’re doing in the insurance space is really

Trey Gonzales, a sales professional for the Zebra, says that even working remotely, the company has kept its employee-friendly culture. “You still feel connected even though you’re not seeing these people all the time,” Gonzales said. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-

Dante Clemons, a senior product optimization director for the Zebra, gives the company high marks for its commitment to diversity. “It’s a place that is really accessible and mature,” Clemens said. “It’s a space where literally all stripes are welcome.”

STATESMAN]

[MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

interesting and cool, but getting to do it with a really collaborative, low-ego group is what makes it really exciting,” Noori said.

Startup culture in recent years has included a trend of fun office perks. While the Zebra has offered its share of perks, the focus has been

on growing a people-first culture, Noori said.

“We all value collaboration and empathy and things like that,“ she said. ”I've seen it evolve from a really fun, ’let's get stuff done’ culture. We still maintain that -- we work really hard and smart and want to move the business

forward -- but we're also really thoughtful about it.“ The tech company’s perks aren’t too shabby, though.

They include 16 to 20 weeks of paid parental leave, $100 monthly wellness perk, Fridays ending at 2 p.m., unlimited paid time off, weekly catered lunches, an

in-house barista, standing desks and snack and drink pantries.

The Zebra has worked to keep some of that culture alive during the pandemic.

“One of the things we had in the office was snacks,” See ZEBRA, Q21

ZEBRA From Page Q20

said Dante Clemons, a senior product optimization director for the company.

“Early on (in the pandemic) they sent us snack boxes with things we enjoyed in the physical space, and we had some continuity while working from home.”

Clemons said she also received a personalized self-care box, along with a coloring book, a puzzle scramble game, a candle and a letter from the CEO. Clemons, who has been at the company for just over a year, said it all helped ease the adjustment to working from home.

She said she’s appreciated the continued accessibility of leadership, all the way up to the CEO, even while working remotely.

“There's not a sense that

Sunday, November 8, 2020

something can't be considered or requested,” Clemens said.

Many team members are also involved in employee resource groups, which they say are not only a way to inspire change and ensure an inclusive environment, but meet people from other departments.

These include an LGBTQ group called Dazzle, a women-focused group called the Shebras and a diversity focused group called Affinity.

Gonzales is head of Dazzle, and Clemens is part of the company’s Affinity diversity task force.

Clemens said while the company is inclusive, it’s about making sure diversity and inclusion are intentional as the company grows.

“It's a place that is really accessible and mature,” Clemens said. “It’s a space where literally all stripes are welcome.”

Q21

“What we’re doing in the insurance space is really interesting and cool, but getting to do it with a really collaborative, low-ego group is what makes it really exciting,” says Manijeh Noori, vice president of engineering for the Zebra. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Q22 Sunday, November 8, 2020

TEXAS From Page Q14

officials and eligible full-time workers.

The statewide pool for health insurance is there to save costs for the counties by giving them collective buying power for that insurance.

Ernesto Martinez is one of a handful of the association’s employee benefits consultants who provides information to counties on just how their insurance plan works.

“People in county government are regular, everyday people,” Martinez said.

“They need someone to look them right in the eye and assure them that everything is going to be taken care of.”

Looking people right in the eye is a little more difficult this year because of the pandemic. At least three-fourths of the association’s employees have worked remotely since the middle of March.

But the association has put together a flexible plan for bringing most of its employees back to the office at least part of the time by early November.

COVID-19 has meant that most of the Texas Association of Counties’ communications to its clients in the counties are conducted by online conferencing and by email. At the same time, management is working harder to keep employees in the loop and to keep their spirits up, according to the employees.

That sense of teamwork helps the association attract and keep workers.

“I wanted to grow and add to my experience and feel like I was part of a team,” said Brittany Davis, a claims examiner for the association’s liability risk pool that works on behalf of more than 200 counties. She joined the Texas Association of Counties in 2017 because she saw the

“It’s been great for professional and personal development. I couldn’t ask for any better.”

Brittany Davis

opportunity for advancement in her field. The risk pool she works for covers property damages and injuries that occur for its more than 200 participating counties.

Davis said she likes the organization’s collaborative and supportive culture and the responsiveness of its leadership.

“Management has been very good at listening to employees,” Davis said. “It’s been great for professional and personal development. I couldn’t ask for any better.”

Like other association employees who are working from home, she said she misses the friendly and open atmosphere of the Texas Association of Counties headquarters on San Antonio Street where she had a view of the downtown Austin skyline.

Amanda Saldaña, the association’s payroll manager, said she also misses the friendly, helpful spirit of the office setting.

Even though she networks with other employees online, it’s not quite the same. “I can’t walk down the hall” to sort out job challenges and get advice, she said.

“We have learned to have a lot of patience,” Saldaña said. “A lot of things are not at your fingertips.”

She credits association executive director Susan Redford with keeping the team engaged.

“Susan has reached out,” she said. “She has unified us and brought us together in virtual meetings to see our faces and to keep us in the loop with what is going on.

She is looking out for us.”

Amy Lawson, manager of the association’s education projects for the Texas Association of Counties, said the agency has worked to continue serving its clients during the coronavirus outbreak. “Our members are so grateful and so caring. They are good people who want to do the best for their communities. They are there to learn and we are there to help,” she said. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

  Sunday, November 8, 2020  Q23

Greater Austin Top Small Employers 2020 Top workplaces with to 149 or fewer employees in the greater Austin metro area: Rank / Employer / What it does / Austin-area employees*

28. Cosential / Software / 83

1. Pediatric Healthcare Connection / Pediatric home health care / 88

29. RoadVantage / Automotive industry / 98

2. Ojo Labs / Technology / 111

30. The Steam Team / Cleaning and restoration / 75

3. Power Home Remodeling / Home services / 104

31. Gotransverse / Software / 73

4. Capital Strategies, a Mass Mutual firm / Financial advisors / 70

32. Hypergiant / Artificial intelligence / 61

5. 360Partners / Search marketing / 53

33. Scott Felder Homes / Homebuilder / 76

6. Radiant Plumbing & Air Conditioning / Home services / 137

34. Texas Realtors / Real estate / 71

7. Anaconda / Software / 61

35. LawnStarter / Landscaping and lawn care / 50

8. EEA Consulting Engineers / Engineering / 73

36. Weaver and Tidwell / Certified public accountants / 57

9. Open Lending / Financial services / 94

37. Halff Associates / Engineering and architecture / 116

10. Texas National Title / Title Insurance / 105

38. Dosh / Technology / 69

11. Freedom Solar Power / Solar power services / 102

39. Heritage Title Company of Austin / Title company / 100

12. OpenSymmetry / Consulting / 95

40. Austin Habitat for Humanity

13. Ryan / Tax advisory services / 80

41. HomeTeam Pest Defense / Pest control / 89

14. Invicti Security / Information technology / 56

42. Orion Talent / Staffing / 58

15. Aceable / Education services / 108

43. Firehouse Animal Health Centers / Veterinarians / 85

16. Talroo / Human resources / 60

44. Capitol Services / Business services / 106

17. Watkins Insurance Group / Insurance industry / 104

45. Broadway Bank / Finance and banking / 58

18. Brohn Homes / Homebuilder / 66

46. Kazoo / HR technology

19. LJA Engineering / Engineering / 118

47. Dropoff / Logistics / 50

20. Iodine Software / Health care / 54

48. Intelligent Logistics / Distribution, logistics and freight / 58

21. Better Business Bureau / Nonprofit / 60

49. uShip / E-Commerce marketplace / 111

22. Popp Hutcheson / Law firm / 68

50. Greater Texas Credit Union / Credit Union / 129

23. Vyopta / Software

51. Athenahealth / Health care technology / 137

56

Nonprofit / 71

62

24. Sendero Health Plans / Nonprofit / 64

52. Weifield Group Contracting Texas / Commercial electrical / 81

25. Actian / Software, data management / 91

53. Abrigo / Software and consulting / 143

26. TML MultiState Intergovernmental Employee Benefit Pool / Nonprofit / 122

54. Baylor Scott & White Institute of Rehabilitation / Hospital / 74

27. SecurityNational Mortgage Company / Mortgage lending / 102

*Number of employees is as of Aug. 14, and is based on information provided by each employer.

Q24 Sunday, November 8, 2020

Pediatric Healthcare keeps its promises, workers say

From left, Alice Washburn, Shawn Johnson and Stacey Clements work with Pediatric Healthcare Connection, which ranks No.1 among small employers in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

Sometimes young companies can make a mark on the world just by challenging some standard industry

practices.

That’s what veteran nurses say happened when Pediatric Healthcare Connection began operating in Austin five years ago.

The company focused

on going the extra mile to make nurses feel valued and appreciated. It also made a concerted effort to carefully match its nurses and the families they would be working with.

Pediatric Healthcare ranks No.1 among small employers in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

Nurses at the company typically care for younger

children who have serious long-term illnesses, but no longer require hospitalization.

The company fosters a See PEDIATRIC, Q25

Sunday, November 8, 2020 Q25

PEDIATRIC From Page Q24

long, trusted connection between the nurses and the families with whom they interact.

And it is a steady relationship. Typically the company’s nurses work with only one or two patients at a time and sometimes those relationships can last for years.

Alice Washburn remembers helping to bring a 9-month-old girl home from the hospital. Washburn was the child’s nurse for three years until her patient “graduated” from the program and no longer needed home nursing care. Along the way, the nurse and patient became close. The two now have regular Facetime “play dates” where they can join to play games or work on crafts together.

The company regularly recognizes its employees, who can receive small gifts, birthday parties, other celebrations and an annual recognition event that usually includes dinner and a night’s stay at a hotel.

Pediatric Healthcare also owns a vacation house on the Texas coast in Port Aransas and it offers free three-day stays for employees and their guests.

Washburn is already thinking about making a trip soon to the beach house.

“That is a really nice perk,” she said. “I never had an employer do that for me. It is amazing.”

Stacey Clements said she likes that the company works to “match the families with the nurses.”

“We work really hard to match everyone up and make sure it is going to be a good fit,“ she said, which is a departure from procedure at many nursing services.

Pediatric Healthcare Connection nurse Shawn Johnson says: “I have never seen a company that had delivered on every single promise like this one has.” [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Clements started as a field nurse with the company, moved to nursing supervisor and now is working night shifts with several patients who require 24-hour care.

“I became a nurse because I love patient care. I love taking care of the patients and seeing them in their homes and thriving,” she said. “We help them to be at home and live as normal a life as they can.

The company’s nurses work with some patients who are less than two years old along with slightly older children and a few teenagers.

Shawn Johnson, another veteran nurse, said he was attracted to the company because it was advocating for a different way of running a nursing business. Some other companies he had worked for had fallen short of their commitments. But Pediatric Healthcare was different, he said.

“I have never seen a company that had delivered on every single promise like this one has,” he said.

“It feels more like family than anything. Management has done a very good job of

making the field nurses feel invested in the success of the company.”

As it copes with the coronavirus pandemic, the company and its nurses have taken a range of preventative steps to avoid exposing their young patients to the outbreak.

Washburn said she struck an agreement with the family of her latest patient that she would only care for that patient and no others in order to reduce the child’s exposure to the virus.

As a precautionary measure for her patient, she avoids shopping in stores and other potential risks that might increase the possibility of exposure.

“I promised the mom exclusivity and I have maintained that for her,” she said.

For Washburn, playing games and making crafts is just part of her normal interaction with patients.

“Those things make my job,” she said. “You come through the day and the patient is well and you do some fun things together.

And at the end of the day I say, ‘You did good, Alice.’”

Pediatric Healthcare Connection nurse Stacey Clements says she likes that the company works to “match the families with the nurses.” [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Pediatric Healthcare Connection nurse Alice Washburn says playing games and making crafts is just part of her normal interaction with her young patients. “Those things make my job,” she said. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Q26 Sunday, November 8, 2020

Engagement, collaboration drive Ojo Labs’ culture

By Kara Carlson kcarlson@statesman.com

Larcombe Teichgraeber starts her day with a cup of coffee, a check of her emails -- and by tuning in to her office’s internal morning radio talk show, Coffee Time.

“I love the ritual of listening to that hilarious talk show in the morning,” said Teichgraeber, director of strategy and insights for Austin startup Ojo Labs.

“They’re funny, kind human beings, and if you listen frequently you get to be sort of part of the inside jokes.”

Teichgraeber, one of more than 100 Austin-area employees for Ojo Labs, said rituals like that are helping the company’s workers stay connected amid the pandemic, even as they work from home.

“I was worried about missing the people, the connections the fun, while at home, but we still have it. It just takes more planning,” Teichgraeber said.

Ojo Labs, a software startup focused on real estate technology, ranks No. 2 among small employers in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

“We’re all wanting to be part of something bigger,” Teichgraeber said. “It’s these connections you make, and the people you serve. On any given day, even when we are exhausted you find a way to lift yourself up and work your hardest because you care about your team members.”

Teichgraeber said two such people are the engineers who run the radio show, which shares updates, jokes and brings on guests from various departments and company locations.

She said the pair served a similar role in the office, and

Larcombe Teichgraeber is director of strategy and insights for Austin startup Ojo Labs, which ranks No. 2 among small employers in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. [MARK MATSON / FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

the employee-led radio show helps preserve the feeling of belonging and connection the company shares. It’s also served as a way to get to know employees at other office locations or departments she doesn’t frequently work with.

Rituals new and old -- like the radio show and Hawaiian shirt Friday -- have helped bridge the culture into the remote workspace.

Employees are also quick to point to Ojo Labs’ real estate focus, and their own work

helping people achieve home ownership.

“When you think about like the fact that the American dream is to buy a home and to be a part of that process is really a powerful experience, but you also get to that work with really really smart people, and to solve problems with people and learn things along the way,” said Jenn Bacon, Ojo Labs’ vice president of operations.

Feroz Patwa, the company’s director of engineering, said there’s never a dull

Feroz Patwa, director of engineering for Ojo Labs, says the company thrives through communication. “When you have that good of communication around the problems we are trying to solve and why we’re trying to solve it, you can really create a good alignment about how you go about you solve it,” Patwa said. [MARK MATSON /FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

moment working at Ojo Labs.

Every day is a new challenge, which he finds empowering, he said.

“When you have that good of communication around the problems we are trying to solve and why we’re trying to solve it, you can really create a good alignment about how you go about you solve it,” Patwa said.

Patwa has worked at the company for about three years, managing a team of engineers. Amid the pandemic, the company’s

communications have become more virtual, but have only increased in frequency, he said. His team has worked to stay connected through events like birthday car parades, and baby showers.

“We realized not being in-person would bring some communication gaps, so we created forums, where people were still able to feel like they were part of Ojo even though we are all over,” Patwa said.

See OJO, Q28

Sunday, November 8, 2020 Q27

Power Home Remodeling ‘the real deal,’ workers say

Power Home Remodeling employees -- and brothers -- Pedro Vasquez and Antonio Vasquez work on a window replacement project at a home in Cedar Park. Power Home Remodeling ranks No. 3 among small employers in the Austin American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN].

By Kirk Ladendorf For the American-Statesman

Five years ago when he was working as a physical therapist in New York, Kirk Chapman figured he would get a new job to buy a better car and then go back to graduate school.

On the advice of a friend, he took a job at Power Home Remodeling -- and his life changed. Now Chapman works as a team mentor in the company’s expanding Austin office and he

has his eyes set on his next promotion.

“I saw the company’s growth and how the business was being run,” Chapman recalled recently. “I thought I could plant my flag here and have an impact. I think this company is the real deal and I can go far with it. Joining it was one of the best decisions of my life.”

Power says its task is to make sure its employees are not just happy, but fulfilled.

“Power is a dream realization company,” the company

said in describing its mission. “We believe its purpose is to create positive change in everything the company touches -- from customers’ homes to employees’ lives to the communities that they live and work in.”

Power Home Remodeling ranks No. 3 among small employers in the Austin American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project.

The company says its “secret weapon” is its strong culture that focuses on

teamwork, mentoring, hard work and personal growth among its workers.

Mentoring is a key part of how the company runs.

Employees are given advice and encouragement to succeed in the jobs they are doing now and the ones they may grow into in the future.

The mentoring starts with a team of about six employees and a leader, but it continues up to the top executive level.

The company is known for its frequent employee events and for its tradition of taking

all employees to Mexico for an annual event of celebration and training.

The company’s positive, collaborative culture means co-workers quickly become good friends.

“Before the pandemic we had constant outings and dinners to get to know each other,” said Royce Duncan, who joined the company when he moved to Austin two years ago.

“We moved down here See POWER, Q28

Q28 Sunday, November 8, 2020

POWER From Page Q27

with no friends,” he said.

“Now every one of my friends are people who I work with. I have lasting friendships with them.”

Then came the pandemic, and the company responded by furloughing most of its workforce, while it came up with a plan to do business while taking care of employee and customer safety in the new era of social distancing.

The old plan called for company workers to meet with homeowners face to face and come up with cost estimates on work to make the house more energy efficient.

The new plan incorporates much more social distancing and safety precautions when employees discuss potential work

projects with customers.

Company leadership came up with the new plan, while keeping in touch with its furloughed workers.

“They formulated the right plan. I trusted the company to make the right decision,” Duncan said.

Babie Spain, another remodeling mentor in Austin, said she was impressed with how the company kept informing and entertaining its furloughed workers while it was coming up with the new way of doing business.

“They were keeping people engaged and having a sense of community,” she said.

Spain joined the company about two years ago after interviewing a range of companies about job openings.

Power impressed her for its warm, friendly vibe from her first job interview. She has worked in a few different jobs in her time with the company and

gained a perspective on how the business runs.

“I was looking for growth in the job I would take and the company I would work for,” she said. “At Power, if you put in the work, the opportunities are endless.”

The company’s thoughtful, transparent process of adjusting to the coronavirus outbreak impressed her.

“They knew it would put us in a position to succeed down the road. Power looks at things for the long haul. They were thinking about their people and the homeowners and putting us all in a good position to get back to work.”

Chapman said work at the company is both rewarding and fun.

“The culture is infectious,” he said. “Everyone around you enjoys what they do and the people who they work with. You enjoy coming into work. People work hard and they are working with their friends.”

Jenn Bacon is vice president of operations for Ojo Labs. “We’re just finding new ways to engage and make sure that our employees feel appreciated and, and that they’rr able to kind of do the work they need to do,” Bacon said. [MARK MATSON / FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

OJO From Page Q26

Employee feedback has remained important. The company took an office-wide week off in June to make sure everyone could recharge and ensure they took time off even at a time when they couldn’t take traditional vacations.

“They really have cared about employee mental health while stuck at home,” Patwa said. “They realized team members were working and working, and it was difficult to transition between work and personal time. Ojo stepped in right away and recognized that.”

Bacon said the company has a reputation for hiring great

talent, which drew her to the startup in January. It’s this same talent that has made her love working at Ojo Labs, she said.

“Team engagement and collaboration are fundamental parts of our culture. When we moved to work to remote, it was important for us to adapt our styles to this new world,” Bacon said.

The company has added ways to connect to employees including virtual lunches, and sending out “COVID survival kits” with masks, stress balls, office supplies and hand sanitizer.

“We're just finding new ways to engage and make sure that our employees feel appreciated and, and that they’re able to kind of do the work they need to do,” Bacon said.

Taking a job with Power Home Remodeling “was one of the best decisions of my life,” says Kirk Chapman. “I think this company is the real deal and I can go far with it.”

[MARK MATSON/ FOR AMERICAN-

Royce Duncan says that when the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Power Home Remodeling leadership team “formulated the right plan.” [MARK MATSON/ FOR

STATESMAN]

AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Babie Spain says she was “looking for growth in the job I would take and the company I would work for.

She found it at Power Home Remodeling. “If you put in the work, the opportunities are endless,” she said.

[MARK MATSON/ FOR AMERICANSTATESMAN].

Sunday, November 8, 2020 Q29

Sandra Altmeyer is manager of CIrrus Logic’s engineering labs. “This is the first time in more than 20 years in the semiconductor industry that I wake up every morning excited to go to work,” Altmeyer said.

Drew Kinney is a marketing team manager for Cirrus Logic.

[MARK MATSON / FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

[MARK MATSON / FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

CIRRUS From Page Q8

and patient and realize that things won’t be as efficient,” he said.

In pre-pandemic times, Kinney and his team would schedule face-to-face meetings with their customers to describe and detail and demonstrate new products in

hours-long meetings.

Now that can’t happen.

So some demonstrations are recorded with video and transmitted to the customer by teleconferencing. But with video meetings, Kinney said, it is harder to get the instant reaction from customers that occurs during face-to-face gatherings. And customer meetings are done in shorter sessions.

“Nobody wants to sit through a four-and-one-half

hour Zoom meeting,” he said.

Despite challenges, Kinney says Cirrus’ long-standing commitment to teamwork and collaboration shine through.

And his team focuses intently on communicating effectively both with other Cirrus workers and with their customers.

Cirrus is well-known for its many employee training programs, and Kinney says his team, both newer employees

and veterans, regularly train on the skills of effective communication.

“Communication is great at Cirrus because there are no office politics or things to get in the way,” Kinney said.

But the art of communications is so complex and critical that his team keeps working to hone its skills.

“You want to constantly be learning and not become set in your ways,” he said.

“Now everyone is a Zoom

expert. You have to adapt to the situation and be creative with how you communicate.”

Altmeyer acknowledges that keeping the company moving during the pandemic has been complicated.

“It’s definitely been a challenge, but everybody has risen to the occasion,“ she said. ”Because of the Cirrus culture, the employees want to be helpful and make sure that we stay the course.“

Q30 Sunday, November 8, 2020

CULTURE From Page Q6

to move toward remote working.

And one day after that, the plan was executed and all its more than 170 workers were sent home with most of the equipment they would need to do their jobs remotely.

Susan Redford, the agency’s executive director, said her early focus was on communication both with employees and with county government officials all over the state.

She wrote regular newsletters to keep remote workers in the loop.

And the association set up a new section of its Website to deliver critical information to counties on new rules put in place by state and federal governments to deal with the pandemic.

That was the single, trusted source of critical information that its members were asking for, she said.

Redford kept close touch with her board and various counties throughout the state to get their feedback.

The response was thumbs up. Members liked the level of support the organization was providing through its virtual operations.

After a week in which all employees worked at home, the agency brought in a limited number of employees back to its headquarters, but it set a tight maximum on the number of workers who could occupy any floor of the building.

It also hired a company to do a thorough cleaning of the building every day.

Regular communication with employees was critical.

“We have a wonderful place to work and we all really like working around each other,” Redford said.

“Everyone loves the

Paul Miles, associate general counsel for the Texas Association of Counties, uses hand sanitizer in the agency’s Austin offices in September. The Texas Association of Counties has been allowing a limited number of employees to work in its offices during the pandemic, and is making tentative plans to reopen more of its headquarters building in November. [MARK MATSON / FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

camaraderie here. I was concerned with not losing that.”

Now, months after the pandemic began, the organization is making tentative plans to reopen more of its headquarters building in November, while it continues to monitor what’s going on with the virus.

The detailed plan for reopening was formulated by a task force of association employees and managers.

Redford sad she looks forward to the time when her organization can have more face-to-face contact and assistance to its member county government officials.

“Our members are used to seeing us in their counties,” she said.

That close relationship with members builds trust and respect, she said.

“We hope to go back to that (face-to-face) system as soon as it is safe,” she said.

At Realty Austin, management saw a crisis of

uncertainty in March as both agents and their clients were confused and by the rapid onset of the virus and what impact it would have on the local real estate market.

The company quickly started a regular series of Zoom-centered town hall meetings with agents, so that concerns could be addressed.

It also created quick tutorials that agents could use to put together online video home tours for concerned potential home buyers.

The rapidly developing pandemic left both home buyers and home sellers in Austin confused and hesitant to move forward.

“Lots of (clients) kind of froze,” said Courtney Lepore, operations vice president for the firm.

“People stopped writing contracts (on home sales) People were backing out of deals and taking their homes off the market.”

By providing solid

information on the local market, the company eased the uncertainty that some of its agents and their clients had.

“As an organization, we knew the mindset of our agents (and their clients) was going to be key. We wanted a steady stream of messaging and positive reinforcement,” she said.

The company began gathering weekly and then daily updates on Austin area listings, pending sales and closings.

It also switched to virtual platforms for many of its training programs.

As the Texas economy began opening up again in May, Realty Austin opened its offices to 50% of capacity.

But it closed them again in June when virus cases began spiking in the Austin area.

Despite continued concerns about the virus, the Austin market began rebounding sharply in

Courtney Lepore, operations vice president for Realty Austin, says the real estate firm’s agents looked to the company for guidance during the outbreak. “We tried to create a framework and a process for doing business,” she said.

[MARK MATSON / FOR AMERICANSTATESMAN]

June and continued strong throughout the summer.

In August, the company polled its agents on whether they wanted the offices reopened. The response was overwhelming. Agents said they wanted access to the office to print out needed documents and to have a quiet place to work outside their homes.

The offices reopened on a limited basis at the end of August.

“Our main role was to create a framework for our agents to make decisions,“ Lepore said. ”They looked to us (for guidance). We tried to create a framework and a process for doing business.”

Lepore said she expects there will be some longlasting impacts on the business Realty Austin will consider virtualizing more of its training courses and have regular forums for online get-togethers with management and agents.

Sunday, November 8, 2020 Q31

TOP From Page Q4

somewhat more positive about their jobs than the national average of responses to Energage.

Austin employees, in general, rated their employers highly in several areas: communication with workers; leaders who were aware of the workplace; innovation; work-life balance; values and direction of the company.

Among the comments posted by employees in the survey, several talked about their positive experience at the Charles Schwab investment firm which runs an operations center in Austin.

“I believe in the work that my team does and that we are being led by managers that share the same vision,” said one worker.

“I get to do my best every day,” said another Schwab worker. “I work around great people who bring their best and it is inspiring to see the teamwork.”

At 360 Partners, an Austin-based digital marketing company, employees talked about teamwork and management, “Leadership goes out of their way to show how much they care for each of us and to really make it a strong, trusting environment.”

“I get to work with the absolute best people out there,” said another employee. “They are talented, kind, hard-working, caring and smart. I am constantly learning from them.”

At Aceable Inc., a startup that develops mobile coursework for real estate licenses and drivers’ licenses, employees said they feel like they make an impact on the company’s growth and success.

“I get to work with intelligent people toward a common goal that we all believe in,” said one worker.

Pictured from left are Cirrus Logic employees Drew Kinney, John Forsyth and and Sandra Altmeyer. Cirrus Logic is the No. 1-ranked large employer in the American-Statesman’s 2020 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin project. [MARK MATSON/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]

Q32 Sunday, November 8, 2020