Andover Business Among 2021's Best Workplaces: Inc. Magazine

ANDOVER, MA — One of the nation's best companies to work for is based in Andover, according to a new ranking released recently by Inc. magazine.

Of the 429 companies on the list, 24 are based in the Bay State. Among them is Andover's ALKU, which made the list for the fourth year in a row.

ALKU was founded in 2008 and provides consulting services in industries including life sciences and government.

"At ALKU, we put a premium on having fun working hard," the company said in the Inc. ranking. "To motivate employees, we oversee a number of contests, with prizes such as casual dress all summer, weekend getaways, VIP nights on the town, extra paid time off and donations to charities.

"We also arrange cross-divisional group outings to build camaraderie among employees, and we provide company-wide updates in the form of dramatic skits written, produced and performed by our employees. And our T-shirt program allows employees to nominate other employees who exemplify our goals."

While the best workplaces typically were defined as ones that offered "an open-office design with a stocked fridge and mindfulness pods," that all changed last year when the coronavirus pandemic struck, forcing businesses across the country to leave the office and go remote.

Now, the best workplaces are those that have "thrived in the face of adversity," according to the ranking, and continued to foster a strong culture throughout the pandemic.

Companies eligible to be a Best Workplace selection must be independent businesses based in the United States. Companies also need to have at least 10 employees, been in business at least two years and have a total annual revenue of less than $1 billion.

To be named a Best Workplace, companies must apply for consideration.
Each nominated company took part in a comprehensive employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, that touched on topics including management effectiveness, perks and how it fosters employee growth. Employees' responses, as well as an audit of the organization's benefits, are used to determine the company's overall score.

Companies that made the list were not ranked numerically.

See the full list of Best Workplaces at Inc.com.