Salo, NumberWorks and Oberon’s Commitment to ‘Connecting People’ Creates Happier, Healthier Employees and A Great Place to Work
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, October 20, 2012—For the fifth time, Salo and its brand partners Oberon and NumberWorks have been recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of the Twin Cities’ “Best Places to Work.” Salo is the only staffing firm to win this award for five consecutive years.
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal competition among Twin Cities’ companies is intense, often involving hundreds of firms vying for the handful of awards given by the publication each year in various size categories. Winners are selected in large part based on an employee survey that assesses every aspect of an organization’s relationship with its employees and commitment to its people.
In many ways, Salo continually redefines the standard of a great place to work. Since its founding a decade ago, Salo has consistently measured each initiative it considers through the lens of its potential impact on employees. As a result, Salo has cultivated a workplace environment that emphasizes well-being, health and overall personal and professional satisfaction among its associates and consultants. In fact, the firm puts such a high value on human connections and how they impact business outcomes that it is embodied in Salo’s brand tagline: “Connecting People, Evolving Business.”
According to Ken Heisler, “The ability for people to connect with one another is a huge competitive advantage for a business. When people have strong relationships with co-workers, everyone is more engaged, productive and fundamentally more satisfied with their job. That makes for a great workplace environment,” he explained.
In August, Salo took the concept of ‘connecting people,’ to the next level by embracing an initiative to become the first Blue Zones® certified workplace in America. Explorer Dan Buettner identified Blue Zones throughout the world where people live longer than most and share common lifestyle practices that increase health, happiness and longevity. As part of the certification process, Salo is adapting and incorporating many of the Blue Zones principles into its daily work life.
One such practice involves ‘moais,’ a term used in Okinawa to describe a group of people who travel through life together, share in the joys of life and support each other during the down times. Because Salo has long recognized the importance of personal relationships, the firm is encouraging employees to form or join a ‘moai’ to become happier and achieve a greater sense of overall well-being. Another part of the Blue Zones philosophy involves healthier eating habits, which Salo is also encouraging. Large dinner plates have been replaced in Salo’s kitchen with 10” salad-size plates to encourage smaller portions. Nuts have taken the place of candies at the front desk. And live plants now adorn the desks of employees because plants improve air quality—all critical elements of a well-balanced life.
Many of Salo’s founders and first employees were renegades from the world of big staffing firms—working 60-80 hour weeks and having little time or energy for anything else. In many ways, Salo deliberately created a culture that became an antidote for that work style, putting a premium on personal relationships, family and overall well-being. Today, Sálo has become defined by these characteristics and values and is widely recognized as a company that embraces a culture of recognition and celebration.
About Salo, Oberon, NumberWorks
Salo/Oberon/NumberWorks are leaders in driving business outcomes by leveraging talent in finance, accounting and human resources; as well as, financial executive search services. The award-winning firms are among the fastest-growing contract staffing companies in the country with offices in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago. For more information, visit hellosalo.com.
