December 12, 2008 - The Baltimore Business Journal named Advance Business Systems a finalist in the third annual Best Places to Work in Baltimore competition.
Rankings were determined solely through anonymous employee surveys. Nominees, including Advance, distributed an online survey of 38 questions designed by an independent organization, Kansas-based Quantum Market Research. The survey required employees to gauge agreement with statements ranging from their trust in senior leaders to their own job performance.
“One of the things I like most about working at Advance is their commitment to finding unique ways to reward its employees,” says Accounting Manager Lois Jans. Jans started working at Advance last October and began participating in the company’s free employee wellness program that was launched earlier this year.
The program, paid for entirely by Advance and coordinated with Life FXects Fitness Studio in Hunt Valley, features weigh-ins, one-on-one consultations with corporate fitness consultants, and on-site exercise classes during the work day at the company’s Cockeysville headquarters.
“The benefits that have come from my participation in the program are both personal and company related,” says Jans “On a personal level I have lost 20 pounds, have more energy, have improved my cholesterol 36% and have even cut my medication in half.”
“This is obviously a direct benefit for me but also an indirect benefit to Advance,” Jans says “I strive to give back by way of my dedication and hard work in the hopes of having an impact on the continued growth and prosperity of the company.”
“While we may not have the traditional gym at our headquarters, we’ve found creative ways to incorporate our exercise classes and nutritional sessions into our office,” says Chief Operating Officer Jeff Elkin “In a business that relies heavily on providing our customers with the best we want to do the same for our employees.”
Scott Graham, associate editor of the Business Journal, wrote, “Throughout the process of putting together the BBJ’s first Best Places to Work awards contest and publication, I have been amazed at how much time, money and energy Baltimore-area employers put into creating a great place for their employees to work.”
“As a result of paying attention to the little things,” Graham wrote “these businesses have been rewarded with tremendous worker productivity – and in some cases, nice profits.”
Finalists were selected in the three categories: Best Small Business (10-100 employees), Best Medium-Sized Business (101-499 employees), and Best Large Business (500-plus employees). Nearly 200 businesses across Baltimore and its surrounding counties applied to be a part of the competition. Winners were recognized at a luncheon in September.
