2021 Awards for Excellence: Outstanding Employer Award

For companies celebrating creative and forward-looking approaches to managing HR.

On Sep 29, 2021

New Jersey Business magazine is proud to present the 2021 Awards for Excellence to four executives and 16 companies who have improved the quality of life in New Jersey in outstanding ways. Powered by NJBIA, the awards honor select employers from NJBIA’s membership for outstanding achievements. Below are the winners of the Outstanding Employer Award.

Atlantic Health System 

Atlantic Health System puts PRIDE values behind its standing as one of the largest nonprofit healthcare networks in New Jersey – specifically Professionalism, Respect, Involvement, Dignity and Excellence. AHS’ commitment to quality care and service of its customers and patients is grounded in establishing and maintaining a workforce, which has an open pathway to a long-lasting and enriching career. To that end, AHS encourages broad participation of staff in terms of influencing the direction of the company. 

The company also places great emphasis in the well-being and emotional resilience of its team. It launched a #CaringTogether initiative at the onset of the pandemic with the goal of unifying all of its efforts to overcome COVID-19. 

Additionally, AHS also has a strong commitment to inclusivity – the practice of engaging with diverse populations when making decisions that affect the health and well-being of AHS communities. AHS also recently launched nine voluntary Business Resource Groups to align with the organization’s missions, values and goals.  

DSM 

DSM began as a coal mining company nearly 120 years ago, but has since transformed as a diamond leader in nutrition, health and sustainable living. DSM, now short for “Do Something Meaningful,” has New Jersey locations in Parsippany and Belvidere, and its associated companies deliver annual net sales of about $13.8 billion worldwide, to go along with its 23,000 employees. 

DSM prioritized social well-being in 2020 with its “People & Organization Strategy,” effectively launching a Culture Compass initiative that embraces a broader Inclusion & Diversity agenda – including pillars on generations, race, disability and LGBTQ+. It also launched its BLEND (Black Employee Network at DSM) Employee Resource Group to focus on issues of race and to help highlight and address racial inequality. 

To address COVID-19 challenges, DSM also created an #optimizeyourimmunity awareness campaign by arranging an internal network distribution system to provide recurring, 3-month supply shipments of proprietary blends of immune boosting micronutrients to every DSM employee across the globe. 

Manasquan Bank 

For more than 147 years, Manasquan Bank has provided direct support to organizations seeking to make a positive difference in the community. Continuing to support those serving unmet local needs, the Manasquan Bank Charitable Foundation – established in 2014 – offers financial assistance to qualified nonprofits that create positive societal change. Additionally, Manasquan Bank’s CREW Cares program encourages employee volunteerism throughout its market area. In fact, employees are supported to volunteer up to 15 hours per year during company time. 

The results for both programs have been astounding this year. Through the first quarter of 2021 alone, the Foundation awarded 14 nonprofits with grants in the amount of $27,500. Additionally, bank employees devoted 13.5 hours to community service outreach. Manasquan Bank also does right by its employees through quarterly enterprise conference calls, employee after-hours events, student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement, and an internal focus group called the New Wave Advisory Panel. 

T&M Associates 

As a leading consulting, engineering, environmental, technical services and construction management company, T&M Associates is used to wearing a lot of hats. However, with businesses encountering historic challenges from the pandemic, T&M has provided more cover for its workforce. Its innovative wellness program aims to create a healthy workforce through education, and support – including a wellness portal and outcome-based rewards. 

T&M even hosts annual fitness competitions, yoga/meditation, weight loss, and stress management seminars for employees. T&M has also focused efforts on attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, while fostering a culture of inclusion. Its active Diversity and Inclusion team meets regularly to support a culture that aligns with T&M’s core values, while also encouraging every employee to be heard. Prioritizing staff hiring and retention is also a mission for T&M, while catering to a remote and hybrid workforce. It also supports STEM education through participation in Project Lead the Way, which trains and teaches students studying STEM in local high schools.

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