VICTORIA, British Columbia, May 15, 2015 – StarFish Medical has been selected as an Employer of the Year finalist for the 14th annual Victoria Advanced Technology Council (VIATeC) awards. The Employer of the Year award recognizes a company that has demonstrated its commitment to staff and provides a pleasant workplace.
Finalists are chosen from a survey given to current staff. The awards celebrate the achievements of technology companies responsible for making Greater Victoria the fastest growing technology region in B.C.
Scott Phillips, President of StarFish Medical, explains the significance of the award: “We’re delighted to belong to such a prestigious group of finalist companies celebrating a value that is core to our company. Our staff consistently rates the culture as a favorite part of working at StarFish.”
Employees created a list of activities and opportunities that confirm the unique culture and environment. Highlights include:
Commitment to staff
- StarFish is open in communications. Finances and Key Performance Indicators are reviewed with all employees monthly at an all-hands meeting.
- Profit Sharing is provided on a yearly basis and reported on at monthly meetings.
- Flexibility is extended for almost anything that is important to the employee. Delivering to schedules is paramount. However, we plan around employee time out of office through temporary hires, rescheduled meetings, and remote work.
- Job related training and cross-training is part of employee goals and incentives.
Provision of a pleasant workplace
- The company funds a volunteer Social Committee based upon quarterly performance of Key Performance Indicators reviewed in monthly all hands meetings. In the past 12 months, the committee chose and used the funds for 14 outside work events.
- Monthly birthday celebrations with a cake day, and a monthly beverage Friday for after-work socializing.
- On-site bike racks and showers facilitate Biking to Work.
- The workplace and culture are often commented on by visitors. A recent guest sent the following note after touring our site.
“You have great staff. I’m sure you are very proud of them and the work environment that they all strive to foster. We got a sense that it is a great place to work and the work is rewarding and challenging. It was a very worthwhile trip, so helpful to get a closer look at engineering in the real world. ” –Gary, StarFish Visitor
VIATeC serves as the one-stop hub that connects people, knowledge and resources to grow and promote the Greater Victoria technology sector. This year, 50 companies and individuals are finalists in ten categories. The awards will be handed out at a gala evening June 26 at the Victoria Conference Centre. The finalists were selected from a total of 92 nominations.
Scott Phillips and StarFish Medical have previously won VIATeC awards in 2011 for Executive of the Year and in 2009 for Employee/Team of the Year. Executive of the Year recognizes an individual who has had a significant impact on the success of an organization as a direct result of their leadership. Employee/Team of the Year recognizes an individual or a team in the technology sector who demonstrates outstanding initiative and service delivery, and has had a significant impact on the company for which they work.