Orange Your Excited?

Any way you slice it, we couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that we’ve been honored as a recipient of OrnageSlices’ 2024 Elev8 GovCon Honorees.

The Federal GovCon sector continues to be one of the most complex and competitive marketplaces in the world and the consistent and long-term winners of today and tomorrow are those companies which understand they must not only bring to the table efficient and effective solutions, but also a corporate culture that demonstrates their own excellence, making them a beacon for talent, for partners, and for clients.

The defined characteristics of these winners (detailed below), which we summarize as being drivers to Elev8 GovCon, provide a major competitive edge, to include in higher levels of employee and customer engagement and loyalty which translate into higher growth and profits. The companies recognized, and the leaders guiding these teams forward, understand what it takes and are models of #doingittherightway. #Elev8GovCon  

We are pleased to announce that Bland and Associates have made the 2024 Elev8 GovCon Honorees  list of companies.  This list contains only companies that have demonstrated they met higher standards for culture, engagement and giving back which were corroborated by both an employee and partner submission.

Elev8 companies are evaluated and stand out based on their outstanding characteristics in 8 key areas:

Good Partner    

Partners come in many shapes, sizes and with different purposes but those who do it the right way are sought after and are partners anyone would happily engage again. Other words that may define this category include ethical, reputable, moral, upright, and exemplary. Partners that are exceptional not only uphold the ‘letter of the law’ when it comes to teaming agreements, but they also find ways to go above and beyond to provide support, mentorship, engagement, to collaborate, and to bridge the divide, building one successful team to deliver for their client. 

Growing Your Talent  

Taking care of people means helping them be and do better than they did before. Whether that is through internal or external training, certifications, mentorship programs, or opportunities to take on leadership roles, companies that take care of their teams find ways for them to excel, and they support and encourage those efforts. Growing talent may mean helping people evolve and grow into opportunities outside of the company as they seek fulfillment, or may help develop the next level of leadership within the company. Either way, the focus is on what is best for the individual. 

Philanthropy    

Narrowly defined as the donation of money, philanthropy implies a generosity that can also translate to money, pro-bono work or in-kind donations that underlies it is not all about the bottom dollar but about the bigger picture.  True philanthropy is not a checkbox or cheque that is signed based on company profits, but rather is driven by its team, by its focus, and by what is happening the world and communities it works in. 

Exemplify Innovation  

Whether it is through technology, culture, mission or approach, companies that succeed do not stand still. Innovation signifies life, implies thought and forward movement, and is critical as the world becomes increasingly complex and challenging. Innovation must exist in how teams come together, in benefits and compensation offered, in ways business engages with partners and clients in order to drive true forward motion. Companies must be guided by principles that understand the status quo is not enough and they must demonstrate they are doing more and doing better. 

Industry Engagement  

Whether it is hosting or driving the development of events and activities intended to support the industry as a whole, companies that ‘do it right’ all seem to have some component of giving back to the industry that sustains them that is authentic and appreciated. True engagement is not a one-day-a-year activity, and is not focused on a single act or single organization. Industry engagement looks at the whole of the community and will include multiple aspects including mentorship, giving of time or services, sharing of intel, will involve people from across the company and will be driven by a desire to give back. 

Inclusive and Diverse  

Better for the diversity we bring, unique for the ideas of the individual, variety is the spice of life, are terms that all drive home the value of inclusivity, of hiring people who are different. More than that, inclusive and diverse teams find ways to have those voices heard, for combining those personalities on shared efforts for the betterment of all involved.   

Sustainability Practices   

Not just a recent buzzword, sustainability is important for industry and is becoming increasingly important for government. We know sustainability may be harder to define for smaller businesses but those that are #doingitright understand that everyone must do their part and they have identified and defined ways they can #dobetter for themselves and their government clients. 

Investment for the Sake of Betterment 

Investing to grow is natural. Investing to do better is exceptional. Whether it is investment in internal systems and processes, adding to the team to lighten workloads, adding SME support focused on the softer side of business, seeking external counsel aimed at improving the company, maturing processes and customer delivery through certifications or process standards companies that #doitright are willing to put money behind their commitment to improving the work environment and experience for both internal teams and as it relates to customer delivery.