The Key Factors of Staying Power Revealed: What Makes for a “Top Workplace”

For four years straight, RoseRyan has been recognized as a Top Workplace by the Bay Area News Group. This is a wonderful honor as it’s based on an independently run survey of our employees’ views and opinions—and it’s especially gratifying during our 25^th anniversary year.

This milestone got me thinking about what it takes for a business to have staying power to endure the many ups and downs over time—and especially here in the competitive and extraordinarily fast-paced world of Silicon Valley. What’s important for real staying power?

First, the drive to keep innovating and evolving as the business gets more complex and the market changes is a big factor. Second, you need to deeply focus on meeting, or exceeding, the needs of your clients. Underlying all of it is the team you form that propels your company forward. Our consultants get a chance to be stimulated by the variety of challenges, projects and situations that our clients face.

Having an engaged, strong and supportive workforce means everything. Our employees’ votes of confidence in our firm affirm we have strong organizational health, earning us a spot in the Top 100 Workplaces list. I believe our firm’s staying power has a lot to do with these qualities:

A positive culture: We’re aligned along a common set of purpose and values, whether we’re working together or out on our own helping a client. Employees gave us high marks for the positive vibe they get at RoseRyan and the teamwork that makes working together seamless.

We’re connected: The firm also scored highly when employees were asked if they feel well-informed about important decisions. They said they’re a part of something meaningful. We’re all working toward the same goal—to provide great finance to fast-moving companies. We always have each other backs even when we’re working independently (getting a second opinion on an accounting decision is easy when you can reach out to a team of experts at anytime).

We’re effective: Employees say the firm is doing things “efficiently and well” and that we’re going in the right direction. Plus, they feel empowered to speak up about where the company is going. Bring on the new ideas—they’re encouraged within our firm as well as when our consultants are helping clients improve their financial operations.

Twenty-five years ago, RoseRyan began with the concept of gathering talented finance and accounting experts who crave engaging, challenging work while still having a life. We’ve set ourselves up in such a way that we can offer consultants choices based on their preferences and lifestyle (we have remote, part-time and full-time positions).

Making all this possible are the Silicon Valley companies that need excellent finance to keep them on track. They keep coming to us with fascinating assignments and an array of job experiences. Every client and every situation is different, so our consultants are always expanding their skills and are keyed up to report to work every day.

Being surrounded by a talented, growing team makes our jobs even more fulfilling. We have a fabulous dream team of finance and accounting consultants who give it their all in everything they do. I’m incredibly thankful for their hard work and dedication.

The positive vibe we’ve created, with a highly collaborative workforce that helps and supports each other, adds to the gratification we feel at work. Our strong foundational backbone, built out of a clearly defined culture and a common set of values, has been a major factor in our staying power in Silicon Valley.

Does RoseRyan sound like your kind of place? Learn more about the our culture, see our job listings, and reach out to Michelle Hickam, our talent-hunting expert, if you think you’d be a good fit.

Kathy Ryan guides the ship of RoseRyan as CEO and CFO. Since founding the firm 25 years ago, she has worked with hundreds of Bay Area life sciences and technology companies in CFO and other advisory roles. Her leadership has been widely recognized, from the San Francisco Business Times naming her an influential woman in Bay Area business and the San Jose/Silicon Valley Business Journal naming her one of the most influential women in Silicon Valley. Kathy also made Accounting Today’s national listing of the sector’s top 10 leaders, known as the Managing Partner Elite.