Michigan's best workplaces preach the gospel of alignment
Scott Talley, Detroit Free Press
5 min read
Certified public accountants and consultants; real estate agents and brokers; staffing specialists; the largest university-based credit union in the world, and a nonprofit internship program where student entrepreneurs run businesses centered around painting houses. This is just a sampling of the types of professions, industries and causes that are represented by the top-ranked companies from the 2023 Michigan Top Workplaces competition.
While the products and services provided by the organizations vary widely, their leaders agree that their success is strongly linked to their ability to operate in a manner that aligns with the needs and aspirations of the people they employ, regardless of the business climate.
“We are more aligned than ever with our staff and agents,” said Stuart Elsea, president of financial services for Southfield-based Real Estate One Family of Companies, which has been ranked as a Top Workplace for 13 consecutive years.
The Elsea family, from left Evan Elsea, Camille Elsea Peterek, Dan Elsea, Stuart Elsea and Erik Elsea.
A “one-stop shop” for real estate services including mortgage, insurance, title and rental management, Real Estate One’s history goes back to a Detroit office on Fort Street that opened its doors in 1929. During an October conference call Elsea spoke candidly about a housing “soft patch” that his family-owned business has had to navigate during 2023. But he then went on to explain how a challenging market provided an opportunity for Real Estate One’s leadership to connect frequently with team members in ways that support their future success
“We try to communicate even more in this kind of market,” said Elsea, who spoke proudly about the tag-team Zoom calls that he and his brother Dan — president of Brokerage Services at Real Estate One — make to welcome every new hire to the company. “Zoom calls, team calls, sales meetings, email, podcasts — we make use of all mediums to communicate. It’s important that we keep our staff and agents informed and that they know we’re behind them. Along with providing information that will help our staff and agents excel and grow, we look for every opportunity to recognize them for a job well done. It’s not just numbers, it’s about how they do their work and we value that.”
At Farmington Hills-headquartered X By 2, a custom software development and consulting firm that specializes in business and technology transformation for insurance and health care clients, a concerted effort was made to maintain a strong bond with employees at the same time the company was witnessing "significant" growth.
At Farmington Hills-headquartered X By 2, team members are able to share their thoughts about the company's culture and benefits through a variety of platforms.
“We regularly keep a pulse on how our employees feel about our culture and benefits, through surveys and general feedback,” stated Alyssa Reuter, director of People & Culture at X By 2, a Top Workplace for the past two years. “We also have a robust adviser program that gives employees an opportunity not only for mentorship, but to be heard.”
Like X By 2, the leadership at Detroit-based Sachse Construction (a Top Workplace for eight consecutive years) talks about the importance of being in tune with the "pulse" of the entire organization. According to Myra Ebarb, vice president of People, Perks and Empowerment, this is done through a variety of company forums and group meetings with managers, and candid chats with the company’s highest executives, whose offices are located alongside the offices of other staff members. There also is a system in place that allows team members to submit anonymous feedback and solutions.
And then there is that special book that literally tells the future for Sachse Construction team members.
“We have a three-year playbook and that creates alignment,” explained Ebarb, whose company has built millions of square feet of commercial, retail, multifamily and institutional space across North America since 1991. “Everyone knows the direction we’re going as a company.”
At Detroit-based Sachse Construction, a "three-year playbook" creates "alignment" and helps to shape a workforce where "everyone knows the direction we're going as a company," says Myra Ebarb, vice president of People, Perks and Empowerment.
Companies among the 225 that made the 2023 Michigan Top Workplaces list, the 16th year of the competition, also cited instances when the concept of alignment extends beyond the relationship of the company and employees to benefit the greater community. Examples of this can be found at Lansing-headquartered Cinnaire and Troy-based Talascend.
Cinnaire is a nonprofit community development financial organization that partners with communities to support community stabilization and economic development. During its 30-year history, Cinnaire reports that its investments and loans have resulted in more than $10 billion in community impact, while focusing on economically and racially marginalized communities that have been systematically denied access to capital in the past.
“We take pride in having on the ground personal involvement with the communities we serve, and this applies to members of our team who we encourage to be involved in their community,” said Corinne Hyzny, senior vice president of Strategic Communications at Cinnaire, a four-time Top Workplace. “Our 30th anniversary year is dedicated to a year of service and on a regular basis, we do things like meet with community groups and participate in community-engagement meetings. We actively listen because we believe that our communities know what is best for them and it is our mission to support them.”
A commitment to "a holistic approach to wellbeing" allows Lansing-headquartered Cinnaire to fulfill the needs and expectations of its team members, says Corinne Hyzny, senior vice president of Strategic Communications.
At Talascend, a full-service, veteran-owned staffing agency, whose history dates back to 1946, a shared, deep commitment to veterans throughout the organization has been felt beyond the company's walls.
"As a company we are very veteran friendly and very passionate about the work we do, that unites us, and it definitely can be felt by people who come in contact with members of our team," said Jaclyn Sikora, director of global marketing and communications for Talascend, which is making its debut on the Top Workplace list in 2023. "There is a ton of competition in this industry, but we have people and companies that come to us first when they want veteran talent because they know how committed we are to our work, and we take pride in serving them in the same way we take pride in serving our veterans."
