At Progressive Components, employee development isn't an afterthought; it's a core part of the company's culture.
All team members have their own development plan focused on building skills in their current role and future role or career interests.
"Development offered can be focused on technical skills or performance-enhancing behavioral skills. Other professional development may include company-paid membership in a professional organization, industry association membership, on-the-job training such as coaching, mentoring with an internal or external peer, job rotation, job shadowing and/or cross-training opportunities.
"Career pathing is developed within functional areas that identify requirements and development required to progress to next levels/roles within or outside of functional areas. We also offer tuition and certification program reimbursement programs," the Wauconda, Ill.-based company said.
Progressive Components utilizes Mindtools, which helps managers with resources and support to build confidence and leadership skills. The company also has a six-hour, four-session program called Finding Common Ground.
Workplace-related training includes communication, conflicts of interest, cybersecurity, discrimination, job safety, moral behavior, racial sensitivity, harassment, and behavioral styles identification and emotional intelligence.
Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce is achieved through partnering with organizations, universities and job boards that reach candidates, including professional associations and community groups.
The company also utilizes "structured, bias-free hiring by implementing structured interviews and standardized evaluation criteria to minimize bias; [training for] hiring managers on unconscious bias; job description optimization using inclusive language in job postings and overly specific requirements that could deter diverse candidates; [and] internship positions creating internship opportunities targeting underrepresented groups, allowing entry-level talent to build skills and gain exposure."
To appeal to Generation Z candidates, Progressive Components leverages social media and digital platforms to highlight company culture, employee stories and community involvement.
"Our positions emphasize purpose and impact because Gen Z highly values meaningful work and needs to feel that their roles have a positive impact on the organization," it said.
With 86 percent of Progressive Components employees working remotely, staff members stay engaged through monthly all-employee meetings, monthly one-on-one meetings with team leaders, triannual in-person events for employees and their significant others at the company's expense, and recurring pulse surveys to gauge sentiment.
Cameras are required to be turned on for all virtual meetings "to ensure we have 'face-to-face' interactions even when we aren't in the same building," the company said. But there are no meetings on Fridays so employees can work at least one day without interruption.
Unique health, wellness and work-life balance benefits include one Well-Being Day (eight hours) per year, two Volunteer Days (16 hours), partially paid maternity and paternity leave, life event gifts and flexible work hours. Both full- and part-time employees are eligible for health care benefits starting the first day of the month after hire.
Progressive Components contributes to employees' health savings accounts at various amounts depending on plan choice, with a maximum contribution of $2,500 for the family plan.
"We function as one big family where the camaraderie is very high, leadership treats us with respect and genuinely cares about us all, [and] customers hold our components and staff in high regard, which is often and wonderful to hear," Progressive Components said.
"Progressive Components, a global leader in manufacturing and distributing components for the tooling and molding industries, is proud to be recognized as one of the Best Places to Work," the company said. "This recognition comes as no surprise to its employees, who credit the company's values-driven approach and deep commitment to fostering a supportive and growth-oriented environment."