Community Development, Inc. wins #18 Best Place to Work Award!
Posted onMINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL BUSINESS JOURNAL
2011 BEST PLACES TO WORK
#18 SMALL COMPANY
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, INC.
BY SAM LANE
STAFF WRITER
When Community Development, Inc. employee Shelly Horton-Tuma died suddenly in December, her co-workers rallied to support each other through a very difficult time.
Horton-Tuma was a funny and lively addition to the firm, said company co-owner Chuck Schneider. The 39-year-old’s death solidified a nurturing environment in the office.
“If someone needed to leave the building and get out, they’d do that,” Schneider said. “Everyone else would step in and cover for them….[The employees] bonded.”
The spirit team members exhibited through that period is an example of what makes Community Development a great place to work, Schneider said. “As the owner, I try to create an environment where we’re encouraging, supporting, fostering positive attitudes and creativity. My view is my employees are my clients, and we have to make sure they’re taken care of as much as real clients.”
For Golden Valley based Community Development, that involves a number of morale boosting activities and incentives to keep employees engaged.
Every other Friday, Schneider lets some employees go home at 1 p.m. If they’re not meeting with clients, employees don’t have to follow any sort of dress code. The company frequently holds lunches, dessert breaks, barbecues and happy hours.
“We like to create a culture that is unique,” Schneider said. “I’ve heard so many times from employees: “I’ve never worked any place where the culture is so fun.”
What does having fun at work mean to you? “One thing I love is when I walk through the halls and hear laughter.” – Chuck Schneider, CEO of Community Development, Inc.
Schneider says he’s modeled his leadership after Tony Hsheih, the successful Zappos.com CEO. Schneider founded the company with business partner Ryan Hall 12 years ago. Community Development now has 95 full and part time employees.
The Company uses a “team style” at work that officials say encourages camaraderie. Every group of three community managers is assigned a community specialist, who assists the “pod” in day-to-day tasks.
“It’s a group that really works closely together,” said Amanda McManus, the company’s director of community management. “They end up being a team. They get to know things about other people’s properties and can brainstorm.”
The firm also has created a Random acts of Kindness Committee. Twice a month, a group of employees walks around the building in costumes for 15 minutes, blowing whistles and making noise in an effort to keep up the office’s morale. The group also will pick an employee’s name out of a hat and show appreciation for that individual for two weeks through gifts and other recognitions.
Russ Lis, vice president of client development, said the committee goes a long way in promoting the happiness of employees.
“It’s the overall atmosphere,” Lis said. “You feel like you’re working with a family. If you didn’t have to work, no one would, but it’s a good place to work. People enjoy coming to work, they enjoy talking to people, they have friendships outside of work.”
Lis noted customer service businesses can be tough, and those in the industry often liken the stress to having squirrels running around in their heads. To lighten the load, Schneider bought a stuffed squirrel, which employees pass around to co-workers who seem to be having a rough week.
So what’s Lis’ favorite part of the company? “It’s got to be the squirrel.”
Community Development’s Random Acts of Kindness Committee includes, from left, Michelle Gaskill, Aimee Adams, Brenda Clay, Jesse Dubuque, Angie Blazek (kneeling), Amanda McManus (not pictured).
This article appeared in Volume 29, Number 11 of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal on August 19, 2011, page A11.
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