Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County has been awarded a 2017 Top Workplaces honor by the Orange County Register, making the agency one of 140 companies in the county to receive the designation this year.

“This recognition would not be possible without our team of hardworking and passionate professionals,” says Melissa Beck, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters. “All of our employees embody our organization’s core values of unity, dynamism, trust, balance and empowerment.”

The organization is driven by a mission to provide strong and enduring, one-to-one, professionally supported mentoring relationships for every child who needs and wants one. Just as Big Brothers Big Sisters strives for every child supported by the agency to achieve their full potential, it takes a parallel approach to cultivating the strengths and passion of its team members.

Professional development programs and progressive benefits are in place to encourage employees to be forward-thinkers and help bring the mission to life. Work-from-home opportunities, generous paid time off, Taco Man Mondays, sponsored social events and a wellness committee are just a few of the approaches Big Brothers Big Sisters has taken to invest in its team and create a dynamic workplace culture.

The evaluation for the Top Workplaces program is based upon feedback from an employee survey administered by Energage, LLC, a research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Several aspects of workplace culture were measured, including alignment, execution and connection.