Southern Energy Named in Inc.’s List of 2022 Best Workplaces
- May 11, 2022
- 5 Minute Read
We are so excited, proud, and energized to share that Southern Energy Management is named one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces. The list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture.
Achieving a national award that recognizes our company as an awesome place to work has been a top priority on our team’s three-year goals. This recognition was made possible by the collective actions, passion, and dedication of our team members. We’re so honored to receive this award and for the validation it provides on all the effort and focus our team has put into building a strong culture that encourages all of our team members to lead fulfilling and balanced lives.
About Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces Award
After collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. selected 475 honorees this year. Each company that was nominated took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, which included topics such as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture. The organizations’ benefits were also audited to determine overall score and ranking.
“Not long ago, the term ‘best workplace’ would have conjured up images of open-office designs with stocked snack fridges,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “Yet given the widespread adoption of remote work, the concept of the workplace has shifted. This year, Inc. has recognized the organizations dedicated to redefining and enriching the workplace in the face of the pandemic.”
Here’s what our co-founders Bob and Maria Kingery shared with our team at our monthly company-wide town hall when news broke about the award:
Bob's Thoughts
So, you know, the Kingery family is strong on our family beliefs. And so some of the things that we believe is that life’s a journey and not a destination. We believe that each of us is blessed with lots of choices in this journey. We believe that none of us is more than one or less than one, but sadly the world around us doesn’t uphold that very well most days.
But there are many choices we can make where we can change that. We also believe that it is kind of magical to be alive in our universe.
So with that, we believe it’s important to continuously try to improve ourselves, as individuals and as a collective. Southern Energy Management (SEM) has been built on that idea and this has been cultivated through our mission to change the way people make and use energy (human energy included). SEM is a journey, not a destination, so we sort of have this continuous iteration. We choose what we focus on as a business and at our core it’s choosing to do business as a force for good.
Our team is now 150 people strong, with massive diversity in what we do day-to-day and where we are in the world. Our guidance team has really taken a large role in representing team members – advocating for them and working hard to grow thriving teams. We continuously ask ourselves, what does it take to have great team members and how do we reward, support, and help them in whatever ways we can as a business? Over the years, we’ve tried a lot of different things. Some have been great and some have been challenging.
So, this hard work for these 21 years has brought us to a milestone on this journey together. I’m super excited for our recognition as one of Inc. Magazine’s 2022 Best Workplaces, which is a product of everyone’s hard work – not just one person or individual, but our collective.
I want to put a lot of attention on each and every person on the team. It goes without saying, our team is our most important asset.
When I think about this achievement from the Kingery family perspective, what makes me the most proud is the successes we see for any individual on our team. When the Kingery family sits down and tallies up what we’re proud of, the most important ones are when team members are doing great, and their families are doing well, and they share things like, “I’m going to buy a house,” or they’re having kids and all of a sudden those kids are 20 now. These personal achievements turn into the most important things for our family.
So again, I want to thank everybody for their hard work. We’re super thankful for everyone who has chosen to join this team and continue on this journey together. Looking forward to more growth and milestones ahead!
— Bob Kingery
Maria's Words
This win means that we’re actually walking the walk. And you guys know how important that is for us. It’s why we’re a Certified B Corp! So this award is an outward recognition of the true heart of what we want to be in the world. And again, just to reiterate, it’s not for the sake of winning the award, but it’s for the sake of validation, if you will, coming from our team that we are collectively creating something really special and very different in the world.
Love is very much at the heart of our team and business. I’ve heard many of our team members say, “Wow, this is not like my last job,” or “This is not like any place I’ve ever worked before” and with that, I want to acknowledge that Southern Energy Management is a different kind of place. We really want to be able to show up as our whole selves, bring our authenticity, and value the diversity that we have among us so we can really have a participatory type of environment in growing this organization.
And to do that requires us to grow as individuals. And that’s a pretty tall ask. But from my perspective at least, that’s how we achieve such a great recognition together, through all of us having the opportunity to grow not just the company, but to grow as a team and to grow as people.
So congratulations to each and every person on our team and thank you for everything that you do every day to make Southern Energy Management a beautiful and shining example of a wonderful place to work. I love you all and I am incredibly honored to hold you in my heart. Let’s do some more great things together!
— Maria Kingery
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