Dayton Office Leads in Workplace Flexibility

Booz Allen’s policies help staff in Ohio—and firm-wide—meet changing professional and personal commitments.

At a Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees meeting on November 18, Booz Allen Hamilton received the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. Principal Mike Miles accepted the award on behalf of the firm.

The award honors organizations that use workplace flexibility to increase professional effectiveness and yield positive business results.

“Booz Allen knows that great jobs also include something more: An understanding of work-life integration,” Miles says. “At the firm, we provide our employees with the flexibility to focus on what’s most important to meet their goals at home and at work. We offer options for staff to manage responsibilities, network, learn, and build camaraderie, while they provide exceptional service to their clients and support their team.”

Booz Allen’s robust flexible work arrangement program includes telecommuting, flex work hours, paid time off, and options for leaves of absence. The firm’s philosophy of promoting a healthy work-life balance allows staff the flexibility they need to adjust their schedules to meet personal obligations and goals while successfully addressing work responsibilities.

Acknowledging outstanding performance is especially important at the firm. The Booz Allen Excellence Award (BEA) celebrates excellence in client service, diversity, and community service. In addition, about 20% of staff receive recognition annually through the firm’s Spot Bonus Award, which recognizes exemplary individual efforts that make a difference.

Associate Connie Bennett finds that workplace flexibility has also become a good recruiting tool. “Many employees will commit to the firm for a longer term because of our flexible work arrangements,” she says, “and our community views Booz Allen as a positive place to work. Our policies foster internal goodwill; even employees who are not on flex schedules appreciate the fact that we allow those who need the flex to have it.”

Booz Allen’s Dayton office has a staff of 300, who primarily support the military market.

The Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility is offered in 30 communities nationwide and is based on criteria that include employee feedback. Two-thirds of the winning score is based on experiences of surveyed employees.

The Alfred P. Sloan Awards are part of When Work Works, a national project on workplace effectiveness and flexibility sponsored by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) in partnership with the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Twiga Foundation. FWI is a non-profit, nonpartisan research organization that studies the changing workforce, family, and community.

story posted January 11, 2010