Best Places to Work in Collections Winner Profile: SoundBite Communications

In the first annual Best Places to Work in Collections award program, SoundBite Communications placed first in the Medium-sized companies category. This is the first profile in a series on the winners, including companies in the Large and Small categories.

Fun is the operative word for the employees of SoundBite Communications, Inc. from Formula One races to bowling outings, the structured activities the company provides were a primary reason SoundBite employees voted the firm as the Best Place to Work in Collections in the Medium (75-249 employees) category for 2008.

The recognition program, which was launched last year by insideARM in conjunction with the Best Companies Group, is judged on two separate tracks: an in-depth questionnaire completed by company management and a comprehensive survey process among the firm’s employees.

SoundBite, based in Bedford, Mass., provides on-demand, integrated multi-channel communications solutions for its clients. One of the company’s target markets is the accounts receivable management industry.

Anne Whitaker, Director of Human Resources at SoundBite, told insideARM that activities are coordinated by individual department heads and that participation is 100 percent, as many of the outings occur during working hours during the week.

The activities are part of an effort to bring employees together to foster open communication, according to Whitaker. She said that the official activities committee name, B.I.T.E., bears that out; it stands for Bringing Interaction to Employees. And while the external outings certainly help employee morale, some of the internal events are the most productive.

Whitaker pointed to an annual mini-golf tournament conducted inside the main office. Players from different departments are paired to encourage cross-team communication. As the tournament heads toward conclusion, employees start to take note. “Little galleries start forming and following around the pairings toward the quarterfinals,” said Whitaker. “It’s a lot of fun.”

But SoundBite didn’t achieve its top ranking strictly on the virtue of fun. The company’s benefit program is robust and comprehensive. Healthcare benefits, the cost of which is shared with employees, are available to new hires on their first day. There is also a fitness center on-site at the company’s headquarters. SoundBite also offers a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program to any family member of an employee.

The financial benefits also stand out. In addition to typical benefits like a 401(k) plan and bonuses for employee referrals, SoundBite’s position as a publicly traded company (Nasdaq: SDBT) affords it the opportunity to reward workers in a different way. “Every single employee has some stock options available at hire,” said Whitaker. There are also opportunities for additional options on a case-by-case basis.

SoundBite also makes sure its engineers and product developers understand the nuances of the industries they serve. Many of the workers attend user group meetings geared toward particular markets, such at the ARM industry. Whitaker said that in one meeting, a developer was very excited because he had spoken with a user that was very pleased with a particular application the developer had coded. The company also spends a lot of time discussing its various verticals at internal meetings.

Employees that completed the Best Places to Work in Collections survey weighted communication as one of the most important factors in job satisfaction. Whitaker said that internal communication is a core focus of her department and will continue to be so going forward.