Root Inc. Named Great Place to Work(R) 2012 Best Small & Medium Workplaces

Recognized for the Eighth Consecutive Year, the Company Is Ranked Eighth on the Prestigious List


SYLVANIA, OH--(Marketwire - Oct 25, 2012) - Great Place to Work® named Root, the strategy execution consulting company, one of the best small and medium workplaces in the United States on its annual 2012 Best Small & Medium Workplaces list, published today by FORTUNE magazine. Root was ranked eight on the list, which recognizes companies that have exceptional workplace cultures. Now in its ninth year, the competition is divided into two categories, Small (50-250 employees) and Medium (251-999 employees). Root has made the Great Place to Work list eight consecutive times.

"At the very core of our organization is our belief in the power of the individual to make a meaningful difference. We are very fortunate at Root to have people who don't see what they do as a job," said Jim Haudan, CEO of Root. "Every day they bring their interests, passions, strengths, and dreams to enrich the lives of those we have the privilege to serve. We have this sense that character is to an individual as culture is to our organization. It really matters to us. We cherish the culture we have and together we are actively striving to make it even more exciting."

Added Haudan, "What we do for our own customers -- consult and innovate with them to more effectively engage, inspire, connect, and motivate their employees to be part of something bigger than themselves -- is what we do for ourselves. We are proud to be named a Great Place to Work and we are thankful to everyone at Root for helping us earn this honor."

Root was selected from among hundreds of companies vying for a place on the list. Applicant companies opt to participate in the selection process, which includes a comprehensive employee survey and an in-depth questionnaire about their programs and company practices. Great Place to Work® then evaluates each application using its unique methodology based on five dimensions: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie.

Great Place to Work® has found that employees believe they work for great organizations when they consistently trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with.

Founded in 1984, Root is focused on harnessing the power of every person to move a company forward. The "roots" of the company include creative excellence, servant leadership, authenticity, engagement, collaborative design, fun and giving. The entire culture revolves around these values. Employee programs include:

  • Build a Sense of Belonging - creatively illustrate in pictures the uniqueness of each "rootizen" as soon as they join the organization; evolve and expand that picture as their most valued talents come to the surface;
  • Onboarding - an in-depth and detailed new employee onboarding program;
  • Awards -- employee awards including the Rooties, the Root Spirit Award and the Gratitude Awards;
  • Communication - open communication among leaders, managers and individuals including all-company meetings, team meetings, Root newsletters, and the Root Culture Team;
  • Development - detailed training programs including functional strategic skill training, tuition assistance and individual training;
  • Employee Engagement - programs like the Root Olympics, Holiday parties and grassroots events;
  • Community - activities designed to give back to the community.

"The Best Small & Medium Workplace list grows more competitive every year and this list represents the best of the best," said Susan Lucas-Conwell, global chief executive officer of Great Place to Work®. "While each company is unique, what they have in common are strong cultures that support positive workplaces."

To see the 2012 Great Place to Work Best Small & Medium Workplaces list and to learn more about how to build a high-trust workplace culture, visit www.greatplacetowork.com or to learn more about Root, visit www.rootinc.com or their winning Great Place to Work company profile.

About Root
Root is a strategy execution company that helps organizations engage their people as the catalyst and driver for change. Root does this by connecting people with complex strategies using creative and visual methods, transformative insights, and consulting know-how on strategy deployment and sustainment. With more than 20 years of capabilities developed from partnering with the world's largest businesses, Root has created a proven framework that consistently achieves clarity, ownership, and results. Based in Sylvania, Ohio, Root has been recognized as a Great Place to Work for eight consecutive years. Visit www.rootinc.com for more information or follow Root on Twitter: @therootinc.

About Great Place to Work
Great Place to Work® is a global consulting and management training firm specializing in workplace excellence and development of high-trust organizational cultures. Its proprietary research tool, the Trust Index© Employee Survey, is taken by over 10 million employees in 45 countries annually. Leading companies worldwide apply its Model® to increase the levels of trust across their organizations and drive business results. Annually, Great Place to Work® produces the annual FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list and the Great Place to Work® Best Small and Medium Workplaces list. Follow Great Place to Work® online at www.greatplacetowork.com and on Twitter at @GPTW_US.

Contact Information:

CONTACT:
Monica Rohleder

847-606-1973

Root placed 8th on the 2012 Great Place to Work list of small & medium size companies