Repeat Top Workplaces winners see recruitment spike

Earning a Top Workplaces designation can be a boon for a company to recruit new employees and retain high-level talent while also setting a challenge to preserve that top status in future years. This year’s Top Workplaces list features 17 repeat businesses that won for the first time last year.

One Top Workplaces winner for the second year in a row in the large category is nonprofit Hope Services, based in San Jose. Hope Services was founded in 1952 when the parents of children with developmental disabilities came together to open one of the first preschool’s in the state for students with developmental disabilities.

The nonprofit now also offers day services, training and employment, community living and mental health services and its mission statement is “to improve the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities and mental health needs.”

“What attracts a lot of people to Hope Services for somebody who is interested in a career in this field is that we were really among the first in California to provide the types of services we do,” said Daniel Burns, vice president of human resources at Hope Services.

Earning a Top Workplaces honor is a boost in several ways, according to Burns.

“I think it shows job seekers, especially in the Bay Area, that an employer is innovative in finding new ways of fostering employee satisfaction. In the Bay Area, we find that it’s not enough to simply have competitive pay, because in our region, everybody does that,” Burns said. “So a Top Workplaces designation really shows job seekers that a company values employee appreciation, that the work is meaningful and that we provide an environment where employees can grow and advance.”

When Hope Services first won the Top Workplaces designation last year, the company had around 46 job openings, but today that average is seven, which is about an 85 percent reduction in vacancies.

“I’m not going to say that all of that can be attributed to the Top Workplaces designation, but that designation plays a huge role,” Burns said.

One of the incentives in retaining employees is a rich benefits package, including the basics as well as perks such as gym memberships, pet insurance and mental health counseling. Hope Services also focuses on employee growth.

“I use myself as an example. When I came to Hope Services 20 years ago, I started in a very entry level position. I was able to take advantage of a lot of the learning and development resources that Hope has for its employees, our senior management team, the directors and so forth. We have 40-year employees on our senior management team. That’s one thing we’re proud of — when people come to Hope Services, they tend to stay.”

With each successive year, Burns said winning a Top Workplaces designation becomes more important.

“We have every intention of securing our third consecutive Top Workplaces, but that’s not just going to happen on its own,” Burns said. “Our active planning for that will be a focus for the coming year.”

At Sangamo Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on developing genomic medicines, recruiting employees specialized in cell and gene therapy expertise remains competitive, especially in the Bay Area, according to Chief People Officer Whitney Jones.

“The Top Workplace designation validates our belief that Sangamo is a great place to work and helps us recruit and retain top talent,” she said.

Headquartered in Brisbane, Sangamo won a Top Workplaces designation in midsize companies.

“Sangamo is comprised of passionate individuals who strongly believe in our company mission to translate groundbreaking science into genomic medicines that transform patients’ lives,” Jones said, emphasizing the company’s inclusive and empowering environment.

Sangamo also focuses on supporting the growth and development of its employees. Beyond the standard medical coverage, the company offers restricted stock options, an employee stock purchase plan, mental health services, reimbursement packages for commuting and wellness, subsidized delivered lunches, free on-site snacks and drinks and an on-site fitness center. Transit options are also varied, including close access to the Bay Trail and a free shuttle service to Caltrain and BART stations.

There are several employee resource groups that play a key role in reinforcing the company’s diversity and sense of community, according to Jones. Employees also have the opportunity to focus on their individual and team development, including a four-day training program for people managers, Jones said, adding that Sangamo also strives for an open and transparent culture led by its CEO Sandy Macrae.

“We believe in creating opportunities for employees to grow and develop by identifying avenues for them to build their technical and professional expertise,” Jones said.

Over the past year, Sangamo has launched a program to support its managers, leading@sangamo, and also offers other resources such as professional development courses, conference presentations and participation, individual coaching and team off-sites.

“In this uncertain market, we have remained committed to developing our teams and individuals as well as investing in our employee programs and experiences,” Jones said.

Syncari is also on the Top Workplaces list in small businesses for the second time, following last year’s designation. The company, which offers a data automation platform for business leaders, is currently fully remote. Since the beginning of the year, Syncari has reduced its workforce by 30 percent to 34 full-time employees.

Despite reducing its workforce, Syncari has focused on keeping up morale, according to Nick Bonfiglio, CEO of Syncari.

“We’ve kept it up by saying that, ‘look, we lived in a different time in 2019 through 2022. The market went from super frothy to flat, and right now, we’re just trying to get the business to where it’s cash flow neutral and not have to depend on any outside money to control our destiny.’ That mantra has helped us through this morale crisis.”

Bonfiglio also points to the company’s people first mentality.

“My co-founder and I when we started the company were looking to be more human first. We just wanted to create a culture of everyone matters,” he said. “No titles above any other title — as much of a democracy as you can be in a corporation.”

One of the ways he connects with employees is with what he calls company stand-ups. Every two weeks, he joins employees and lets people talk about their work.

“Everyone’s involved in listening to what’s going on in their world,” he said. “We’re trying to keep the connection to how we’re doing, what every team is working on.”

Syncari gives employees a $500-a-year credit that they can use to support the charity of their choice, and they get a day off to volunteer. The company also focuses on diversity and inclusion, including a Women in Syncari group.

The Top Workplaces designation gives Syncari credibility in the market, Bonfiglio said.

“Even though we’re small, we’re a credible business in the marketplace. I think recognizing companies that follow their values is what ends up creating Top Workplaces,” he said. “For us, it is going to help, and hopefully, next year we get back to growth. The award really goes toward helping recruit the best talent when the time is right.”