Email marketing maverick MessageGears is not only breaking records for its rapid growth and revolutionary technology, it’s getting noticed for its “best in market” company culture.
MessageGears was named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s coveted “2018 Best Places to Work” list, joining 100 other small, medium and large companies across the metro area that know how to create environments that attract and retain top talent. The ABC announced the news July 28 and will honor the winners and reveal rankings at a reception Sept. 6, where they will also launch the HR Hero Awards.
The Best Places to Work list is compiled with the help of Quantum Workplace, an employee engagement software company. Employees from nominated business had to participate in a scientifically valid survey about their employer. Also, a set percentage of employees (based on company size) who were polled had to complete the survey for the company to be considered.
MessageGears has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years, sending billions of emails each month for companies like Expedia, Chick-fil-A, Ebates, and Orbitz, and more than tripling its workforce. Such a fast pace can easily breed dysfunction and employee burnout. However, MessageGears leadership and CEO Roger Barnette make talent management and work/life balance a top priority. That’s helped the company maintain a low turnover rate, and a 4.9 rating on Glassdoor.
In an interview with the ABC in July 2017, Barnette said, “If you’re not purposeful about building the culture, it will build itself, for better or for worse.” With that in mind, he hoped to establish a collaborative culture where employees felt personally invested in the company’s future. He said MessageGears had also formalized a list of company values and that they were deliberate about hiring people who felt they could strengthen those values.
Barnette was thrilled to see the work paying off both with happy employees, and the recent honor from the ABC. “This honor is particularly meaningful for us because it’s an award for the whole company,” Barnette said. “You don’t become a best place to work because one team did something great. Everyone has to be on board. ”