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18 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 18, 2024 BEST PLACES TO WORK | LARGE EMPLOYER CATEGORY (200 OR MORE U.S. EMPLOYEES) Purchase a group subscription for your team or entire organization. Get access to HBJ for your entire team! EMAIL>> CIRCULATION@HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION "Best Places to Work in Connecticut" We are honored to be recognized for the 8th consecutive year Join the best team in CT. 2 VACO LLC CT HEADQUARTERS: Shelton INDUSTRY: Staffing/Consulting WEBSITE: www.vaco.com TOP CT EXECUTIVE: Lauren Becker, Managing Partner V ACO LLC provides con- sulting, project resources, executive search, direct hiring and strategic staffing services. e firm finds talent for sectors including accounting, finance, IT, digital, risk and compliance, operations and administration. DEI Efforts: Employees receive training on topics like diversity and inclusion, managing bias and preventing harassment and dis- crimination. e company has re- source groups for Asian American and Pacific Islanders, Black and Hispanic and Latin employees. Survey Says: An annual engage- ment survey assesses the organiza- tion's health. A pulse survey is also administered midyear to gain feed- back on aspects of the workplace culture. Leaders and managers discuss and communicate results to make decisions and action plans. Telecommuting: Prior to the pandemic, 30% of the workforce telecommuted. at figure is now at 70%. Fun & Relaxation: Employees enjoy Halloween dress up, holi- day parties, and an annual sales trip, "Vatopia." Employee Recognition: e com- pany acknowledges birthdays on LinkedIn, and celebrates marriag- es, work anniversaries and new family members. It offers coffee gift cards as well as kind messages to mark milestones. 3 Inspira Marketing Group HEADQUARTERS: Norwalk INDUSTRY: Advertising/PR/Marketing WEBSITE: www.inspiramarketing.com TOP EXECUTIVE: Jeff Snyder, Founder & Chief Inspiration Officer I nspira specializes in building brands in apparel, automotive, food, beverage, entertainment and other markets. American Express, Netflix, National Geographic and California Pizza Kitchen are among its clients. Employee Benefits: Inspira covers 100% of medical and dental costs for employees, and 75% and 65%, respectively, for dependents. It pays 50% of vision for both. Giving Back: Employees com- pete in an "Annual Day of Giving" pitch, creating concepts and fundraising campaigns. is year, Soles2Souls raised $15,000 to pro- vide an elementary school with new shoes. Employee Recognition: Work milestones are recognized with gifts, as are engagements, wed- dings, adoptions, births, etc. Trophy Case: Firm recognized as a Best Companies Group Inclu- sive Workplace and Best Places to Work by Ad Age and HBJ. Fun & Relaxation: e office enjoys events like happy hours at its own "Bar Infuse;" compli- mentary cereal bars on Tuesdays and bagels on ursdays; book club meetings and employee-cre- ated experiences like masquerade mysteries and beachside retreats.