EDITOR’S NOTE
2020 will undoubtedly be a year that makes the history books. And while experts have already done a thorough examination of the causes and effects of such a tumultuous, historic year, Terakeet rose to the occasion and tackled many unique challenges that are worthy of a retrospective glance back. Not only did our entire office shift to a remote workforce on virtually a week’s notice, but we also managed to grow our ranks and support each other through this life-altering period.
Our commitment to showing up for one another in small and big ways in 2020 did not go unnoticed. We were selected for several impressive employment award lists in 2020. Winning these awards and being recognized during such a tumultuous year was incredibly humbling.
2020 closed on a high note for awards, and 2021 opened with an exciting announcement. On January 13, we won a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award! This remarkable achievement was only made possible by the hard work and dedication of Terakeet’s incredible staff and leadership.
We are grateful for every Terakeet employee and the fantastic work they have done. Read below for a full review of our recent, recognized accomplishments.
Glassdoor’s Best Workplace Award 2021
2021 started on a high note! On January 13, Glassdoor announced that they had selected us for a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award in the U.S. small and midsize business (SMB) category — ranking us 26th out of 50 small and midsize companies! This award recognizes the Best Places to Work in 2021.
The Employees’ Choice Award is based entirely on the input of employees. We are grateful that Terakeet employees continue to provide us with honest, heartfelt feedback on our Glassdoor page so that we may continue to grow and be the best company we can be.
As one of the Best Places to Work in 2021, Terakeet is among the top three marketing and advertising companies and the leading Syracuse-based company to be named on Glasdoor’s SMB award list in the U.S.
Best Companies to Work For In New York
On August 5, 2020, The Best Companies Group announced that Terakeet had been recognized as one of the “Best Companies to Work For In New York.” Specifically, we placed 5th in the “Medium-size Business” category. This award recognizes New York companies that display outstanding employee engagement.
Among the reasons we were chosen for this award, our competitive benefits package and employee perks made the top of the list. 2020 required extra flexibility and some employees found themselves using their benefits package under a unique set of circumstances.
A few of our employees welcomed new members of the family in 2020! These ‘Keeters either found themselves returning from their 12-week paid parental leave to a remote environment, or they went out on paternity leave, unsure of what life at Terakeet would look like four months later.
Terakeet Recruiter Mathew Fox summed up this strange time perfectly,
“Thankfully, Terakeet policies made my transition back to work (remotely) pretty seamless. Several years ago, with an employee lead initiative, Terakeet adopted a Flexible Work schedule and unlimited Work From Home opportunities for all employees. Of course, we were not planning on or expecting something like this to happen. However, because of Leadership’s willingness to explore and implement new policies and benefits frequently, we were prepared.”
No one could have predicted the year parents on leave would have, but we are delighted that ‘Keeters on leave were able to experience a smooth transition back into action.
Best Places to Work
In September, it was announced that we had placed 3rd on “CNY Business Journal’s” Best Places to Work List in the category of “100+ Employees.” Due to COVID-19, the awards ceremony went virtual, but that didn’t make it any less fun! We were recognized among some of Central New York’s top employers for being a business that “Encourage[s], cultivate[s], and promote[s] a great place to work.”
To learn more about the award, check out the 2020 Best Places to Work Ceremony.
Fortune’s Best Small/Medium Business (NY + National)
Not only did we place 5th on Fortune’s list of “30 Best Small/Medium Workplaces in New York,” but we also ranked 54th on their National list of “Best Medium Workplaces.” Being awarded twice by one of the nation’s most recognizable brands was truly humbling! Our employees’ honest feedback helped us earn two spots amongst some of New York and the country’s best businesses.
Fortune’s Trust Index survey revealed that a culture of inclusivity and teamwork reign supreme at Terakeet. Employees had this to say to Fortune,
“The founders and leadership team are exemplary and sincerely care about every team member. They’ve created a work environment that’s flexible, supportive, and encouraging. I feel valued and appreciated daily.”
Great Place to Work Certification
In 2020 we were chosen for a Great Place to Work Certification. This is a high achievement for businesses across the country. One of the main takeaways from the survey data that accompanied this certification was that Terakeet stood tall in the area of employee satisfaction. In fact, 99 percent of employees say Terakeet is a great place to work! Typical U.S.-based companies see a 59 percent employee satisfaction level.
We are exceedingly grateful to each ‘Keeter for making Terakeet a place that 99 percent of us want to work at every day! Terakeet’s Chief People Officer Lynn Fraas has this to say about our culture in 2020,
“Maintaining the health and happiness of our employees both in New York and across the U.S. became even more critical alongside the spread of COVID-19. We’ve been reevaluating our hiring and business practices to align with the landmark changes in our industry and will continue to strive to make Terakeet a [‘Great Place to Work’] as that concept evolves – our momentum is not stopping!”
Great Place to Work for Parents
There is no doubt that parents across the world faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. Parents and guardians had to stretch in new ways to meet the growing needs of children on remote learning schedules, their remote work schedules, and maintain everyone’s health and safety at home admit the novel Coronavirus.
That’s why we were incredibly grateful to Great Places to Work for placing us 44th on their list of 100 “Great Places to Work for Parents.” To illustrate just how important striking a healthy balance between work and home life is to Terakeet, we asked Digital Content Manager Melissa Stefanec to give us an honest account of what life has been like for a parent amidst the pandemic. She summed it up best in her closing remarks,
“Quarantine has changed our routines and presented many challenges, but it hasn’t taken any of the truly important stuff. Not everyone can say that. When I tuck my kids in, I remind them of how much we have to be thankful for. I remind them that tomorrow is going to be a great day, and if it isn’t, I’m always here for them.”
Inc.’s Best Workplaces List
Inc., one of the world’s leading business magazines, honored us by placing Terakeet on their “Best Workplaces List.” Inc.com receives over 33 million monthly page views. We are truly humbled to be included with some remarkable brands like Noom, HubSpot, and GoodRx.
Employer of the Year
In 2020 we were crowned “Employer of the Year” by Digiday. This was such an exciting win for us, and we were in good company! Businesses like RingPartner, Deloitte, and Hulu were also recognized this year.
Our hard work to get everyone acclimated to a remote environment in such a short period didn’t go unnoticed. These insights were included in the Digiday award announcement,
“Terakeet provided a stellar working environment by attacking numerous problems at once, from helping employees to obtain the right hardware to making it easier for them to continue participating in company culture. In unprecedented times, there’s no one solution.”
Best and the Brightest
Best and Brightest named us as one of their 2020 “Best and Brightest Companies To Work For In The Nation” and “New York’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.” Our benefits and work-life balance continue to bring some of the best talents to our organization.
In addition to 12 weeks of paid paternity leave, we have fantastic health coverage options, paid time off, a transportation stipend, and a paid gym membership (to name a few). But, in 2020, our most popular benefit has been our flexible work schedule option.
By trusting our employees to craft a schedule that works best for their needs and fosters a productive environment, we have been able to reach some of the “Best and Brightest” talents not just in our industry but the entire U.S.!
A few of our ‘Keeters were kind enough to speak openly about our flex schedule benefit on our blog this year. Account Director Katie Romango summed this benefit up so well in her interview,
“I work on a large account that is on the Pacific coast, so flex time works well because I don’t want to be bombarding our customer at 6 A.M. in the morning, their time. On the personal side, that also means that I’m not rushing a five and two-year-old out the door by 7:30 A.M. There aren’t stringent start and end times. Just having that little time to breathe in the mornings is extremely helpful for my mental wellbeing, but also for my family as well.”
2020: A Memorable Year
We won’t forget the events of 2020. It was a year of teamwork, sacrifice, accommodation, and learning to grow and stretch in new directions. We cannot say it enough: we are truly grateful for the people of Terakeet.
