SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaspien, Inc., formerly etailz, was recently named as one of the Best Places to Work Inland Northwest. The fourth annual list of the Best Places to Work Inland Northwest was created by the Journal of Business and Best Companies Group.

This survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best employers in the Inland Northwest, benefiting the region’s economy, workforce, and businesses. The list is made up of 36 companies. Kaspien also made the list of Best Places to Work Inland Northwest in 2016 and 2018 (as etailz).

"We are honored to be a recipient of the Inland Northwest Best Places to Work Award, and it is a great milestone for the culture of our company,” said Lisa Wideman, Kaspien’s VP of Human Resources.

“At Kaspien, we believe our employees are our most valuable asset, therefore when we implement new programs, we think about our employees first. We encourage work-life integration through flexible work schedules, especially with what we are all experiencing in 2020, as well as flexible PTO for qualified employees. This allows our employees to take the time off they need.”

To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity
• Be a publicly or privately held business
• Have a facility in the Inland Northwest region (Spokane, Pend Oreille, and Stevens counties in Washington State; and Kootenai and Bonner counties in Idaho.)
• Have a minimum of 15 full-time or part-time employees working in the Inland Northwest
• Be in business a minimum of 1 year
  

Companies from across the region entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work Inland Northwest. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data, and determined the final rankings.

In the past year, Kaspien has instituted many new employee engagement programs, such as a Charitable Contribution and Giving Committee. This committee is focused on giving back to our Spokane community, and is currently organizing a diaper drive for the local Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery after the committee became aware that the nursery was unable to host the annual diaper drive themselves due to COVID-19.

Kaspien also keeps employees engaged through monthly lunch and learns, which are now done virtually. “We have monthly lunch and learns where we showcase in-house experts that share the latest happenings on Amazon or bring an external speaker in to talk on important topics,” said Holly Johnson, Human Resources Generalist at Kaspien. “Moving to work from home, we knew we couldn’t lose these events, which our employees love so much. More than that, we knew this was a great opportunity to stay connected.”

Kaspien also continues to engage employees through fun events like the recently hosted virtual scavenger hunt. “The scavenger hunt included things both indoors and outdoors, like taking a photo in a sunflower field or sharing a photo of an art project/creation you made during quarantine,” said Johnson. “This gave our employees to take a chance to not only reconnect with one another but get outside (safely) and get the creativity flowing!”

For more information on the Best Places to Work Inland Northwest program, visit www.BestPlacesToWorkINW.com.

About Kaspien 
Kaspien is a leading ecommerce growth platform, offering an expanding suite of software and services to help brands grow on Amazon, Walmart, Google Shopping, eBay, and other online marketplaces. Founded in 2008 in Spokane, Wash., Kaspien has spent the last decade building and utilizing proprietary technologies for brand protection, marketing optimization, and fulfillment efficiency to generate rapid revenue growth for Kaspien partners. Through innovative strategies and best-in-class technologies, the Spokane-based company has earned the trust of many leading brands, including 3M, Strider Bikes, Buck Knives, and ZippyPaws. Kaspien recently secured $25 million in funding from Encina Business Credit. For more information, visit kaspien.com.  

Katie Capka, Inbound Marketing Manager | Kaspien
Phone: 509.919.0213
Email: katiec@kaspien.com
Website: kaspien.com