For the seventh consecutive year, GMA has been named one of metro Atlanta’s top workplaces.
In the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s annual rankings, GMA ranked 16th among 86 companies with 150 employees or fewer. The rankings have been published for 11 years, and GMA has been climbing since first making the list in 2014, when the organization was ranked 46th among small companies. GMA cracked the top 20 for the first time in 2020, and this year’s ranking is its highest yet.
“It really says a lot about what a great place GMA is to work, and I, for one, believe that’s because we have so much more than a work environment,” Executive Director Larry Hanson said. “We have a family environment that includes work.”
The 2021 results were announced in a virtual event on March 18. The rankings are based on an annual survey completed by workers across the metro Atlanta region.
That survey is not just a tool to tally GMA’s successes, but to look for additional room for improvement, said Mark Baggett, director of human relations. Every year, GMA uses the survey results from the AJC Top Workplaces rankings to find opportunities to make the employee experience even better.
“I believe GMA is a Top Workplace because we listen to our employees,” Baggett said. “Staff is encouraged to participate and provide input on a variety of committees that impact our association.”
Employees on all levels have had the opportunity to contribute to major projects, including offering feedback on plans for the new GMA building. A committee was formed to decide on mural designs for the building’s exterior walls, and input from employees was considered in furniture choice and the addition of a gym and recording studio. With a return to the office in sight, employees’ opinions are being sought about what post-pandemic work looks like.
While most GMA employees have been working remotely for more than a year, there have been programs designed to keep people connected, including virtual get-togethers and fitness classes.
GMA has also taken steps to ensure an inclusive workplace, naming Freddie Broome as director of equity and inclusion in September. Since then, an internal task force has convened, and monthly equity and inclusion roundtables are open to all.
Hanson said he hopes GMA can continue improving and make it to the top 10 workplaces in 2022.
This story originally appeared in the May/June 2021 edition of Georgia’s Cities magazine.