HRG received the top prize at the ESOP Association’s Annual Awards for Communications Excellence last week.  The award recognizes our Total Communications program extolling the benefits of employee ownership to our employees and to the public, and we were honored to receive it because ownership and communication are very important to us.

Employee ownership is more than a retirement plan to us; it’s the foundation of our company culture. As equal partners in HRG’s success, we’re committed to an open and honest exchange of ideas at all levels of the organization. Leadership shares a wealth of information about the company’s performance and goals in monthly emails from our president, videos, livestream announcements, and quarterly reports from our CFO. But, most importantly, they listen, too.

Employee-owners can offer their input through our suggestion program, online surveys, and town hall meetings.  They can play an advisory role on the ESOP committee or OPT IN team (which focuses on operational innovations). Or they can just start a conversation with a manager in the hall or break room.  Everyone – from our front desk to the CEO’s office – is friendly and accessible.  Our managers travel to each office regularly to get to know staff one-on-one and hear from them directly, and we plan fun events to build internal relationships across service groups and offices.

Communication may be formal – like our quarterly ESOP reports of financial metrics – or fun: contests and celebrations for Valuation Day and ESOP Month.  The underlying message is always the same: We are a team; we share the responsibilities and rewards of ownership equally.

Thank you to everyone on the team for your contribution to our success: Everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts and ideas for innovation. Everyone who has shared their feedback through surveys and town hall meetings.  Everyone who has read the financial reports and strategic plans and thought about how they can use their work to help HRG reach its goals.

And thank you to the ESOP Advisory Committee – past and present members – who have done a fantastic job building our program and championing our ownership culture.

HRG has been named one of Pittsburgh’s Top Workplaces list this year!  We accepted our award at a ceremony last week and were featured with other winning firms in a special section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday.  HRG ranked #10 out of 70 firms in the Small Business category (based on the number of people working in our Pittsburgh office).

Since our founding 60 years ago, we have tried to be a fun and supportive workplace: an environment that gives people the freedom and opportunity to achieve their personal and professional goals.  This award, which is based entirely on employee feedback, is validation that we are succeeding.  Thank you, team! It’s #Good2bHRG

HRG is one of 10 firms across the country receiving the PSMJ Premier Award for Client Satisfaction this fall. The award is based on feedback from our clients, who rated us as excellent in all categories:

1. Ability to solve problems and meet goals
2. Responsiveness
3. Quality of deliverables
4. Accuracy of schedules
5. Success in managing budgets
6. Overall value

This is our second time receiving this award; we were similarly recognized in 2015.

We’re honored and excited to receive this award from PSMJ, a global leader in the management of architecture, engineering, and construction firms, and we’re grateful: to the clients who rated us so highly and to our team members who work  hard every day for the communities we serve.  Thank you!  You can read more about the award and the ceremony scheduled for September in Nashville on PSMJ’s blog.   (Link opens in new tab.)