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June 7, 2007
SMARTLABS
Smarthome Named One of Top Ten Best Companies to Work for in Orange County
Headquartered: Irvine
Website: Smartlabsinc.com
CEO: Joe Dada
Number of employees: 100
PRODUCT/SERVICE: Designs, manufactures and markets home automation
and control products and technologies used for electronic home
improvement.
Best Benefit: "No email Fridays"
Walk around SmartLabs, Inc. on a Friday and you’ll witness a majority of employees
engaged in one-on-one meetings. Not the usual backs turned toward office doors
and eyes glaring at monitors - all of which are healthy consequences of "No email
Fridays."
As face-to-face communication becomes a corporate America relic, this home
automation products manufacturer believes one-on-one meetings are effective in
breaking down hierarchical barriers.
Online Marketing Specialist Jessica Hasenplaugh enjoys the morale boost that comes
from a "No email Friday" visit by the VP of marketing. "It makes me feel important,"
she says. "The direct communication in general makes me feel more at ease with my
co-workers, especially those with whom I don’t work as closely."
Aside from its manager-sprinkled "fun committee," which enables employees to bond
over bowling, miniature golf, picnics and monthly barbecues, SmartLabs regards its
workers as internal customers and is strongly committed to helping them advance in
their careers.
Hasenplaugh, 30, has been with the company for nine months and was promoted
after six months of working as an assistant. She now writes search engine ads and
loves the challenge.
"Through training and mentoring, our company supports employees as they grow in
any direction they’re willing to take," says Chief Information Officer Mike Nunes - a
12-year employee who’s risen from head of technical support to operations manager
to VP of software development and now CIO.
"We really focus on developing people and recognize our company is only as strong
as the people who work here," Nunes says.
- Judy Asman
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