Hartford Business Journal Special Editions

Best Places To Work In CT 2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com March 24, 2014 • Hartford Business Journal BPTW-5 By Karen Sackowitz Special to the Hartford Business Journal E ven after a changeover in the executive ranks, Qualidigm continues its empha- sis on culture. "When I came on board, I wanted to learn about the existing culture. To gather infor- mation, we solicited feedback, surveyed the staff, and ran a cultural survey," said Tim Elwell, who took the reigns as president and CEO in April. "The results showed a clan-like culture, meaning employees really care about each other. It also showed that their ability to learn and adapt is quite high." All of this bodes well, Elwell said, with the new vision for the organization. While much of the work at the health care consulting firm is performed in the interest of government con- tracts, a new emphasis is being put on commer- cial work in an effort to fund efforts overall. "For some, it is a different mindset to think competitively and put together a sales document; it's an interesting process to go through," Elwell said. "We're trying to create an atmosphere of stewardship. We want indi- viduals to do the right thing not because they are told to by a superior, but because they know it is in the best interest of the company. It's a much more empowering approach." Consulting Director Michelle Pandolfi has been with the company for 11 years and said the transition has been intro- duced with extensive input from the staff. "Tom works to main- tain what makes Quali- digm Qualidigm, while moving in the direction we need to move as a business," Pandolfi said. "The value and represen- tation offered employees here is phenomenal." Pandolfi said the col- laborative effort of the staff is also one of the organization's great- est strengths. "Everyone works as a team. There is no saying 'No, that's your job' or 'That's my job,'" she said. "Everyone pitches in, and you can always count on someone to be there for you, whether you need to stay late to work on a project or if you are out sick and need some- one to pick up your work for you." Elwell said promoting an autocracy, more of an entrepreneurial culture, is what drives employees to think past the day-to-day and drive toward the greater big picture. "Everyone has a responsibility to evaluate their own work process here. If you feel you are underutilized, find something additional that interests you within the company. Seek it out and learn about it," Elwell said. "When you come to work, bring ideas. Challenge the way we do things." Active involvement includes the com- pany's community-based efforts, said Anne Elwell, vice president of community relations "We get every employee invested, under- standing why we do what we do," said Anne Elwell. "There are so many worthy causes to get behind. We ask our employees to write down who they would like to work with, and then narrow it down to three or four events." Recent employee-driven community cam- paigns involve the Walk to End Alzheimer's, for which the Qualidigm team was a top fundraiser for Hartford County, and involve- ment in the Wounded Warrior Project to help empower wounded military service members. "We solicit votes on our community proj- ects because when we get behind something, we do it 100 percent. It's not just going to be a brochure in the kitchen," Anne Elwell said. "We actively get behind our causes." Tim Elwell said as the company becomes more competitive in the market place and as employees embrace a stewardship model, the hope is to migrate the company toward more collaborative partnerships throughout New England. "The culture of New England is unique, and the new processes we're putting in place help everyone," he said. "The hope is to create an innovation center around best practices." The future seems bright for the organi- zation's expanding plans, especially with a consistently satisfied and fully engaged staff behind the efforts. "It's like a family here," said Pandolfi. "It's easy to work hard for people who have your back and people you genuinely like." ● Qualidigm continues focus on culture ▶ ▶ "It's like a family here. It's easy to work hard for people who have your back and people you genuinely like." – Michelle Pandolfi, consulting director at Qualdigm (Above) Qualidigm participated in the 2013 Walk to End Alzheimer's and was the top corporate fund raiser for the Hartford walk. (Left) Celebrating the company's 30th anniversary in November, Qualidigm employees gathered enjoy a catered lunch and for the presentation of employee anniversary certificates by CEO Tim Elwell. (Below) Employee awards include the Big Cheese award where workers receive an actual chunk of cheese. Ranked #1 SmaLL/medium Company Category W i n n e r

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