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Baird Recognized For Workplace Flexibility And Effectiveness
 Baird awarded the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Award at an event hosted by FUEL Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 7, 2008
Baird was named a winner of the 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. The award was presented at an awards ceremony on Aug. 6, hosted by FUEL Milwaukee, a work force development affiliate of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
The Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility are awarded as part of the When Work Works project, an ongoing initiative of Families and Work Institute, the Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW), an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Twiga Foundation. Through When Work Works, these partner organizations provide research, resources, and recognition to employers nationwide, and share the results of research on creating effective and flexible workplaces that meet the needs of the 21st century.
The Sloan Awards recognize organizations dedicated to making work “work” for both the employer and the employees. Representing employers of all sizes and all types, winners of this prestigious award not only offer excellent workplace flexibility practices, but they also use flexibility as a strategic business tool to enhance organizational effectiveness while also benefiting employees.
Baird offers flexible work arrangements, such as part-time/reduced hours, job sharing, compressed workweeks, flexible hours, telecommuting and remote office locations, which meet associates’ needs while also meeting Baird’s business needs. More than 26% of Baird’s non-commissioned work force has a formalized flexible work arrangement, according to an internal survey conducted last year. In addition, many other associates have informally arranged some form of flexible work schedule with their managers that is not reflected in that number. Associates also receive an additional paid day off each year to perform volunteer service through the “Baird Cares” program.
“At Baird, we believe flexibility is a requirement today for most professionals and it is essential to help them achieve the work/life balance they need to do their best work,” said Lori Lorenz, Baird’s Director of Human Resources. “Helping associates find a balance between work, home and the community through flexible work arrangements is an essential part of our strategy to attract and retain the very best people.”
“Employers must develop new recruitment and retention policies. Unprecedented conditions -- a multi-generational workforce, a shrinking labor pool and an increasing demand for skilled workers -- dictate that they do so,” said Greg Roth, Senior Manager of Workforce Education Programs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce.
Applicants were evaluated in a rigorous two-step process, first comparing the employer’s application to nationally representative data from Families and Work Institute’s National Study of Employers, and then corroborating the employer responses through a survey of employees.
“Sloan Award winners have put into practice their bold ideas about how to make work work in the 21st century, and they have shown how they can support the needs of their employees while also making their organizations more effective and successful,” said Ellen Galinsky, president of Families and Work Institute.
Each of the 2008 Sloan Award winners will also be recognized nationally, including a full-page congratulatory ad in USA Today, and will be featured in the next issue of the Guide to Bold New Ideas for Making Work Work, published by Families and Work Institute. For more information about When Work Works or the Alfred P. Sloan Awards, please contact Shanny Peer at (212) 465-2044 x 224 or at speer@familiesandwork.org.
For more information about Baird, please visit the About Baird section of our web site.
About When Work Works
When Work Works is a nationwide initiative to highlight the importance of workforce effectiveness and workplace flexibility as strategies to enhance businesses’ competitive advantage in the global economy and yield positive business results. When Work Works is a project of Families and Work Institute in partnership with the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Twiga Foundation, with funding provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. For more information, visit www.whenworkworks.org.
About Families and Work Institute
Families and Work Institute (FWI) is a nonprofit center for research that conducts extensive research on the changing workforce, changing family and changing community. Founded in 1989, FWI’s research typically takes on emerging issues before they crest. The Institute offers some of the most comprehensive research on the U.S. workforce available. For more information, visit www.familiesandwork.org.
About The Institute for a Competitive Workforce
The Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW) is a 501(c)3 affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. ICW promotes high educational standards and effective workforce training systems, so that they are aligned with each other and with today’s rigorous business demands. Through policy initiatives, business outreach, and a strong grassroots network, ICW is finding solutions that will preserve the American workforce as this country’s greatest business asset and its strongest future resource. For more information, visit www.uschamber.com/icw.
About The Twiga Foundation
The Twiga Foundation is dedicated to inspiring, promoting and maintaining a family consciousness at home, in the workplace and in the community. The Twiga Foundation acts as a liaison to key stakeholders in the When Work Works communities to address the issue of flexibility in the workplace. The Foundation helps build a broader leadership constituency for workplace flexibility within each community. For more information, visit www.twigafoundation.org.
About Baird
Baird is an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in 1919, Baird has more than 2,300 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird oversees and manages client assets of more than $73 billion. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird is one of FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2008 -- its fifth consecutive year on the list. Baird’s principal operating subsidiaries are Robert W. Baird & Co. in the United States and Robert W. Baird Group Ltd. in Europe. Baird also has an operating subsidiary in Asia supporting Baird’s private equity operations. For more information, please visit Baird’s Web site at www.rwbaird.com.
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For additional information contact:
Shanny L. Peer, Ph.D.
Families and Work Institute
(212) 465-2044 x 224 |