‘Innovation and collaboration’

Shane McFeely, an employee satisfaction specialist at Quantum, says that rethinking what we do in the workplace will end up shifting some of the perks companies used to offer at work.

“What is the office for?” McFeely told Inc. “It’s probably not for your free lunch. It’s all about innovation and collaboration.”

Here, then, are the 16 North Texas companies that are bringing that kind of innovation and collaboration to life for their teams:

North Texas’ Inc. Best Workplaces for 2023

AM Specialty Insurance Group, Dallas

Excess and surplus insurance company and accredited reinsurer
What AM Specialty told Inc.: “Our highly collaborative team environment fosters personal development and professional growth. We value work-life balance by setting a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday. Talent also is recognized and rewarded. We compensate our employees above the industry average and pay generous bonuses for their hard work. We understand our team members have lives outside of their careers. We accommodate employees in taking care of such things as personal appointments and family matters. At the same time, we have fun with team social events regularly scheduled.”

Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL), Richardson

Leading corporate immigration law firm
What BAL told Inc.: “Our focus on people starts with our culture, which we call oneBAL. Rather than competing for clients like many law firms, our attorneys cooperate with one another and share resources across all our offices nationwide. This culture of collaboration is baked into everything we do, for our clients and for one another. Our clients benefit from uniform processes and access to expert knowledge across the entire firm.”

Camelot Strategic Marketing & Media, Dallas

Marketing and media partner with a focus on data and innovative solutions
What Camelot told Inc.: “We were built on a culture of transparency and connection—connecting brands to the right people and connecting people we work with and call family. We believe in an open, “people first” approach to life and work. We like to think it’s why we were just named one of Dallas’s 100 Best Places to Work for the third consecutive year, and why we’ve had some clients for more than 20 years.”

deskside, McKinney

Strategic IT consulting firm
What deskside told Inc: “When we started, we wanted it to be as much about the employees as it was about the clients. We started with culture in mind, and we provide the best possible environment to attract, cultivate, and maintain talent within our ranks. We understand and value our employees and make a huge effort into keeping culture in the foreground of our company. We have benefits to rival companies many times our size and extremely competitive compensation, and are always looking for ways to improve.”

Embark, Dallas

Business advisory firm
What Embark told Inc.: “With the recent tidal wave of private equity money flooding into the advisory space, we’ve fielded more than a few generous offers. Although a significant influx of cash would help us expand operations, the potential damage to our culture isn’t worth the trade-off. Our culture is the engine that propels the entire organization forward. It is the focal point of nearly every decision we make. We would rather retain full control over our unique culture than expose it to outside influence and input.”

Fears Law, Dallas

Legal firm specializing in contracts, catastrophic injury, business law, and beyond
What Fears told Inc.: “Not all law firms are created equal, and we believe we set a new standard for a contemporary and exclusive environment. We do not function like a hierarchy, as we are a small community that values every team member. Our community is made up of an energetic and outgoing group of attorneys and support staff. We pride ourselves on being good people and protect our culture by hiring ego-free, top talent. We strive for transparent and inclusive communication with one another and our clients.”

FourthSquare, Irving

Boutique consulting firm providing advisory, implementation, and managed services
What FourthSquare told Inc.: “Our organization’s culture reverberates across all aspects of the business because it represents a microcosm of our values. It’s simultaneously our identity and image, which means it determines how our people and customers perceive us. A core concept of our approach is called ‘360 Degree View of You’ which allows us to understand the customer’s and employee’s viewpoint from all angles without restrictions. Clarity of vision helps everyone to move forward with confidence.”

LineLeader by ChildcareCRM, Irving

Unified marketing and management platform for childcare centers 
What LineLeader told Inc.: “We send quarterly ENPS surveys to collect employee feedback and gauge satisfaction so we are taken seriously. The feedback employees provide is analyzed and often implemented by the next quarter if the suggestion is viable for the company at large. We also have an internal CARES Team to celebrate diverse holidays and backgrounds, promote uniqueness, and support health-compromised employees. Standard holidays and additional events happen year-round to encourage social connectivity within the company.”

NextAfter, Plano

Fundraising consultant for nonprofits
What NextAfter told Inc.: “We employ generosity as the central driver of our entire business. It encompasses the way we treat employees, how we handle relationships with clients and customers, and how we present ourselves in the marketplace. Employees will experience a generous workplace from day one, including a generous benefits package, a potential growth path, managers who move people forward, and funding to back our perpetual learning mindset. We seek to embody generosity in all we do.”

Panzura, Plano

Data management platform
What Panzura told Inc.: “We have created a set of unique company values. Our No. 1 value is ‘Bring your weird,; an invitation for self-acceptance at work. We’ve found that when people are encouraged to be their authentic selves, it allows them to feel well and to have more focus, more creativity and more productivity, which unleashes innovation. This has empowered our team to be more creative, happier, and healthier both at work and at home.”

Profit Matters, Grapevine

Accounting service for businesses
What Profit Matters told Inc.: “We hire, fire, and reward based on values. As a team, we review our defined values annually at our retreat to make sure they do not need to be updated. We put culture first by investing in our people via training and compensation, hosting an annual retreat, providing benefits, having daily “roll call” meetings to chat, creating goals and revising the vision together, and sharing financial statements. We are all about our people and ensuring that they feel connected, included, and heard.”

Project Mockingbird, Dallas

Public relations and communications agency for social impact organizations
What Project Mockingbird told Inc.: “We prioritize creating an environment that is inclusive, equitable, and supportive. We offer competitive salaries, ongoing referral bonuses, profit-sharing, and performance bonuses, so our employees can be financially empowered. In addition, we provide 12 paid holidays, unlimited PTO, paid volunteer time off, and 12 weeks of paid parental leave to ensure employees can take care of themselves and their families. Our commitment to well-being extends to offering 100% health insurance coverage and more.”

Skvare, Dallas

Drupal and CiviCRM firm that builds online tools for nonprofits, professional societies, and membership-driven organizations
What Skvare told Inc.: “Our team members are respected as professionals. They are given autonomy to make decisions, and trust to work independently. Our core value of ‘inspired self-accountability’ shines through as team members take ownership of responsibilities. Team members are provided a financial allowance to continuously improve their workspace and knowledge, as well as the freedom to grow personally and professionally. Local culture is deeply respected, and we use our diversity as an opportunity to educate.”

Sphero, Greenville

Firm offering PK–12 education tools focused on STEAM, robotics, and computer science
What Sphero told Inc.: “We strive to create an exemplary workplace for our team. To ensure we put culture first, our leadership adopted a progressive management perspective to celebrate the culture of all employees, rather than instilling a ‘Sphero way’ or corporate culture. The Sphero DEI Committee recently introduced Employee Resource Groups, including one to support various ethnicities and cultures in the workplace. Additionally, our new holiday policy includes two full-week company shutdowns and more.”

The Vested Group, Plano

NetSuite solution provider specializing in consulting, implementation, support, and development
What Vested told Inc.: “We intentionally devised a culture to allow our employees to grow professionally and personally as well. We created what we call a ‘Coaching Culture,’ offering our employees a multitude of training options. From professional and business training to StrengthsFinder coaching and magic classes, we cover it all. We also believe in mindfulness and meditation and encourage our employees to take the time they need to be in the right headspace.”

Tijoh, Frisco

Manages six digital brands that help businesses develop, grow, and innovate 
What Tijoh told Inc.: “We know culture changes based on the needs of the community it represents. Therefore, we strive to maintain a people-first culture that provides our teams with professional and personal support. We recently expanded our health care coverage, provided additional paid holidays, included a mental health initiative, and added a week to our paternal leave policy. We prioritize company engagement and bonding practices, such as our weekly ‘101 forums,’ monthly team-building events, and our annual company retreat.”