BerryDunn 2023 Survey

Download Survey: BerryDunn 2023 Survey

Company Information
Firm/Organization
  BerryDunn
Firm's Address
  2211 Congress Street
Portland, Maine 04103
USA
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Website
  https://www.berrydunn.com/
Number of Employees
  873
Category
  Accounting
Affiliate
  None
Primary Survey Contact
Name – Main Contact
  Courtney Wiss
Title – Main Contact
  Senior Social Media Specialist
Email – Main Contact
  cwiss@berrydunn.com
Phone – Main Contact
  (203) 494-4384
Secondary Contact
Phone – Secondary
  (404) 573-4780
All Employees
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
474 20 17 16 1 13 541

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
296 9 7 10 2 8 332

All New Hires
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
104 8 6 4 0 6 128

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
56 3 4 2 0 2 67

All Associates
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
182 7 13 10 0 5 217

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
100 6 5 4 1 2 118

All Senior Staff
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
152 13 3 3 1 4 176

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
81 3 1 3 1 4 93

All Managers
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
74 0 1 3 0 3 81

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
48 0 0 1 0 2 51

All Senior Managers
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
41 0 0 0 0 0 41

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
29 0 1 1 0 0 31

Directors
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
17 0 0 0 0 0 17

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
15 0 0 0 0 0 15

All Partners and Principals
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
25 0 0 0 0 1 26

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
39 0 0 1 0 0 40

Management Committee
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
3 0 0 0 0 0 3

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
3 0 0 0 0 0 3

Total Information Technology Employees
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
5 0 0 0 0 0 5

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
21 1 0 1 0 0 23

Information Technology Project Managers and R&D Team Managers
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
3 0 0 0 0 0 3

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
4 0 0 0 0 0 4

Information Technology Principals / Partners and Corporate Dept. Managers
Women
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Men
 

White (non-Hispanic) Black Hispanic Asian Native American / Pacific Islander Biracial / Other Total
1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Money Section
M1. Benchmark compensation against current market levels
  Annually
M2a. Conduct internal pay equity surveys and analysis
  Annually
M2b. Conduct internal pay equity surveys (check all that apply)
 

  • Of base pay only
  • Of base pay plus bonuses and incentives
  • As needed
  • By applicants and new hires
  • By race and gender
  • By department
  • By region/office
M3. Pay equity survey results are reviewed by (check all that apply)
 

  • Partners/Principals
  • HR staff
  • All managers with budget and hiring responsibilites
M4. Organizational supports for implementing compensation and fair pay policies (check all that apply)
 

  • Communication tools for department-level pay discussions
  • Communication tools for individual pay discussions
  • Communication tools for negotiating pay of new hires
  • Managers decisions reviewed by at least one superior or HR manager
  • Coaching for managers by HR staff or others
M5. Managers are accountable for equitable pay (check all that apply)
 

  • We do not tie managers pay to their staffs equitable pay
M6. How do you ensure that managers reward actual productivity (not just 'face time' hours worked, or other measures of time or effort)?
  The firm has a robust Individual Development Plan process in which employees set mutually agreed upon goals for career and professional development, as well as contributions to the team in line with the team’s annual business plan. The IDP includes a “time budget” but the priority is placed on documented growth goals. We also rely on a lot of committee work: goals and projects are generated by the workgroups, and contributions are collaborative and accountable to peers in the workgroups.
M7. How are managers held accountable for ensuring that they are paying their direct reports equitably?
  Managers are not directly responsible for making pay decisions for their direct reports, but there are various senior leaders across the firm who are held responsible for ensuring fair pay/equity across all business areas. This is managed by utilizing current external benchmarking data as well as reviewing for internal equity across similar roles and positions
M8. How do you use external market pay data to shape pay policies, practices and innovations?
  We utilize industry standard benchmarking/salary survey data, which is refreshed annually, to help shape our pay policies/practices. We are also in the process of creating an innovative compensation strategy for the firm. We have newly hired a compensation manager to oversee these processes and help shape our compensation philosophy. In addition to various state pay transparency regulations, we have also broadened our salary transparency approach by including hiring ranges for all posted positions, regardless of geography, and by regularly talking about pay transparency internally.
M9. What were the results of your most recent internal pay equity survey and analysis?
  We found no significant negative findings during our most recent review.
M10. If an inadvertent pay inequity has ever been discovered, how was it found, how was it corrected; and how were pay practices and policies consequently changed?
  N/A
M11. Please provide details, short case studies, and examples of how you ensure that woman and people of color are paid equitably.
  This is ensured as part of a comprehensive annual Affirmative Action Plan review by 3rd party attorneys. Also, as part of our new compensation strategy, there will be thorough and ongoing reviews to ensure our women and people of color are paid equitably and fairly.
Opportunity Section
O1. Mentoring: Types of mentoring (check all that apply)
 

  • One-on-one
  • Across departments and functions
O2. Leadership training: Types of leadership training (check all that apply)
 

  • Leadership training: internal program
  • Career coaching through transition from manager to partner/principal
  • Leadership training: through employer-supported volunteer responsibilities
O3. Rotational training (check all that apply)
 

  • Stretch assignments or rotations
  • Developmental assignments or rotations
O4. Skills and management training (check all that apply)
 

  • Skills training (such as IT certifications) beyond C.P.E.
  • College tuition assistance
  • Online training program: skills
  • Online training program: leadership & management development
  • Client relationship training & management skills
  • On-site employee skills workshops
  • Funding to attend professional development conferences
O5. How do managers and top leaders track the advancement of women and people of color? (check all that apply)
 

  • Paid internships for college students/professionals before graduation
  • Track subsequent hiring of interns
O6. Internal affinity networks or business resource groups are sponsored by the organization for (Check all that apply)
 

  • Women
  • African-Americans
  • Hispanics
  • Asians
  • Native Americans/Native Alaskans
  • Millennials
  • Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Questioning
  • Disabled
  • Working caregivers
  • Veterans
  • Other
O6 – Other Comments
  Remote employee group; Senior Manager Community of Practice; Manager Community of Practice coming in fall 2023; Change Management Community of Practice; Consulting Senior Manager Community of Practice.
O7. How does your firm's commitment to advancing women and people of color help you achieve your business, marketing, growth and profit results? If your company has a written business case for diversity, please provide a copy.
  At BerryDunn, our core business services help organizations thrive and be healthy—financially and in their organizational structure—whether it’s a nonprofit or a local government client. Because we support communities with our business expertise, we think it’s important to do the same with our contributions of time and money. We have a long tradition of supporting community initiatives and organizations that advance opportunities and representation for women and people of color, as listed in O9. Our goal is mostly to give back and express our firm values rather than build profit directly from these efforts, but we do see a ripple effect of nurturing relationships with nonprofits who become clients, as well as enhancing our brand reputation generally. We also encourage employees to serve on nonprofit and community boards: a sample includes Maine Women’s Lobby, Maine Women’s Fund, Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine; Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute; and The Way Home NH (low-income housing needs). In terms of firm growth, our recruiters have been trained to reduce unconscious bias, and we are building relationships with diverse colleges and hiring networks across the country. The fact that we have a women CEO and majority women on our Board acts as a natural recruiting tool for those looking for a firm with leadership opportunities for women.

The firm established a CEO Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Access. The council formed multiple subcommittees on specific areas including: Leadership Accountability, Communications, External Events, Internal Engagement, Recruiting, and Systemic Barriers. These subcommittees are tasked with reviewing Firm policies, procedures, actions, and providing actionable recommendations on how we can further enhance the employee experience. The subcommittees’ development is part of our formal strategic plan that has been developed, communicated, and is currently in year two of its three year plan to fully implement a successful DEIBA program. The firm is currently in the process of finalizing hiring a dedicated DEIBA Director.

O8. What marketing, public relations and similar efforts are tied to your organization's commitment to advancing women?
  Since 2021, we have increased our social media marketing efforts that promote inclusivity and provide insight into the firm’s values. This includes honoring key events throughout the year and celebrating women with dedicated industry specializations (Women in Construction, Women Banking, etc.). BerryDunn is one of only 10 firms on the list with a female CEO or managing principal in the AccountingToday Top 100. We leverage that in our marketing and recruitment efforts to show our commitment to offering equitable opportunities to women at the firm.
O9. What marketing, public relations and similar efforts are tied to your organization's commitment to advancing people of color?
  Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is set by a tone at the top. BerryDunn’s previous Managing Principal, John Chandler, was the first accounting CEO in Maine to sign a nationwide CEO pledge with the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion organization. In service to this pledge, BerryDunn’s employees participate in implicit bias trainings and initiatives to help ensure that we are “walking the walk” when it comes to our commitment to DEI, including a CEO-led DEI Council for the firm. We offer financial support to organizations and initiatives furthering awareness and action to advance people of color:

– BerryDunn committed to support equitable education, financial stability, and healthcare as a founding partner of United Way’s Racial Equity Fund.

– We sponsored the Portland Chamber Portland Regional Chamber’s “Standing in Solidarity Pledge” last summer, supporting and promoting their “Momentum: A Maine Racial & Social Equity Series,” attended by our employees and community members.

– We sponsored the NH Workplace Racial Equity Learning Challenge, presented by New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility with support from the Diversity Workforce Coalition.

– We annually sponsor EdVestors, providing resources to underserved student populations in Boston.

– We annually support the MSCPA Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships for women and people of color who are traditionally underrepresented in the field of accounting.

O10. How are affinity and business resource groups used to develop women employees?
  At BerryDunn, we have implemented various initiatives to support the development and growth of all our employees. Our commitment to maintaining a positive work environment is reflected in our Open Door Policy, encouraging employees to approach their immediate supervisors or the Human Resources Department with job-related suggestions, questions, or concerns. We also offer an onboarding partner program and specialized training sponsored by our Learning and Development team to provide personalized guidance and support to new employees during their initial six months. Additionally, we promote membership in professional organizations such as the Association for Talent Development (ATD) and cover membership fees to facilitate networking and access to valuable resources. Furthermore, we have a robust Individual Development Plan (IDP) process in place. This process allows employees to actively participate in selecting areas of development that align with their career goals and aspirations. Employees are encouraged to identify specific areas where they would like to grow and enhance their skills. Employees are also encouraged to include these initiatives in their development plans as a means to gain valuable insights, network with colleagues, and expand their knowledge base. While these initiatives are not specifically tailored for the development of women employees, they provide valuable opportunities for growth and development for all employees within the organization.

Additionally, our Empower ERG’s primary focus is to:
– Cultivate an inclusive environment that supports and encourages women to advance their skills and leadership potential
– Share ideas and foster personal and professional growth and development
– Offer collaboration, community, connection, and mentorship
– Establish a network of leaders, resources, and partnerships that can advance opportunities for women

O11. How are affinity and business resource groups used to develop people of color employees?
  There’s a leveling process that’s not specifically for the purpose of developing people of color, but employees are provided the opportunity to enhance cultural awareness through the resource groups, network with colleagues, afforded opportunities to attend certain developmental trainings, and have access to mentor programs.
O12. How do affinity and business resource groups drive business results?
  ERGs bring significant value to the firm in several ways:

Inclusivity and diversity: ERGs can help promote inclusivity and diversity within an organization. By providing a space for employees with shared backgrounds, experiences, or interests, ERGs can help individuals feel more supported and included in the workplace.

Professional development: ERGs can offer opportunities for professional development, such as mentoring, networking, and skill-building workshops. This can benefit both individual employees and the organization as a whole.

Employee engagement: ERGs can help increase employee engagement and job satisfaction by providing a sense of community and belonging. This can lead to higher retention rates and better overall performance.

Recruitment and retention: ERGs can also help with recruitment and retention efforts by showcasing an organization's commitment to DEIBA. This can attract job seekers who value these principles and help retain employees who feel supported and valued.

Business alignment: ERGs can have a direct impact on strategic plans and firm performance by providing consultation, guidance, and input into client proposals, mergers and acquisitions, and growth targets.

O13. Please provide details, short case studies, and examples of how you ensure that woman have access to advancement opportunities and drive business results.
  From the most recent fiscal year, BerryDunn promoted a total of 117 employees. From those employees, 79 identified as women, resulting in a 67.5% increase in promotions amongst women. To break this number down further, 41.6% of employees promoted to principals were women, 54.5% of employees promoted to senior managers were women, 77.4% of employees promoted to managers were women, 73.6% of employees promoted to senior and senior consultants were women, 63.6% of staff and consultant promoted were women, and 100% of employees promoted to senior paraprofessionals and paraprofessionals were women.
O14. Please provide details, short case studies, and examples of how you ensure that minorities/people of color have access to advancement opportunities and drive business results.
  The Council offers support by seeking ways to maximize creativity, communication, and collaboration among diverse firm contributors. The Charter language itself supports this initiative by its definition that “the core principles of diversity, equity and inclusion stem from our inherent desire to care for all individuals on a human level, recognizing that a feeling of belonging is fundamentally essential to thrive both professionally and personally. “

The Council’s purview includes activities in support of the following firm goals as described in Vision 2026. The Council is the primary body responsible for providing input to the Board and Leadership Team on subjects related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Diversity – Sustain an environment that empowers people by respecting and appreciating what makes us different.

Equity – Recognize the different needs and circumstances of individuals (e.g. ethnicity, race, gender, age, cultural, physical etc.) and strive to ensure that everyone gets what they need in order to realize their full potential.

Inclusion – Foster a professional, ethical, welcoming, safe and respectful work environment in which everyone feels a sense of belonging. People feel a level of supportive energy and commitment from others so they can be their best, authentic selves.

Belonging – Develop a culture of belonging where people can learn and grow together and feel part of a community and environment where everyone feels safe and connected with one another.

Access – Develop equitable access for everyone regardless of human ability and experience, eliminating real and perceived barriers to personal and professional growth, development, and advancement.

Vital Supports for Work-Life
V1. Flexwork (check all that apply)
 

  • Flexwork: Formal practice with formal policy
  • Flexwork: Cultural practice
  • Flexwork: By department, with managers approval
  • Flexwork: On a case-by-case basis, with managers approval
V2. Telecommuting and remote work (check all that apply)
 

  • Telecommuting: Formal practice
  • Telecommuting: Cultural practice
  • Telecommuting: On a case-by-case basis, with managers approval
  • Telecommuting: Used as recruiting tool
  • Telecommuting: Used as retention tool
V3. Training/coaching/support for managers of telecommuting or remote workers (check all that apply)
 

  • Flexwork: Managers trained to manage virtual teams
  • Flexwork: Managers trained to evaluate productivity, not face time
  • Flexwork: Teams trained to collaborate virtually
  • Flexwork: Managers coached to support flexwork & telecommuting
  • Flexwork: Employees coached in effective flexwork & telecommuting
V4a. Stage of life transitions: Parenting transitions (check all that apply)
 

  • Family leave beyond required legal minimum: for mothers
  • Family leave beyond required legal minimum: for fathers
  • Phased return to work for new parents
  • Phased/flexible return to work for foster & adoptive parents
  • Dedicated lactation room
  • Work/life supports geared for busy season
  • Virtual and/or home-based wellness programs
  • Other
V4a – Other Comments
  The Company Paid Family Leave policy covers all of the above mentioned situations over and above the legal requirement
V4b. Stage of life transitions: Retirement transitions (check all that apply)
 

  • Phased retirement: Temp/contract work for new retirees
  • Other
V4b – Other Comments
  We have also seen soon-to-retire employees transition to per-diem
V4c. Stage of life transitions: Other transitions (check all that apply)
 

  • Phased return to work from illness/injury
  • Accommodations beyond ADA required for chronic illness management
  • Other
V4c – Other Comments
  BerryDunn has a Responsible PTO Policy with no defined “bank”
V5a. Dependent care: Childcare assistance provided (check all that apply)
 

  • Other
V5a – Other Comments
  BerryDunn has an FSA Dependent Care benefit that allows pre-tax money to be saved for use for child care
V5b. Elder/other dependent care assistance provided (check all that apply)
 

  • Elder/other dependent care: referral service
  • Other
V5b – Other Comments
  BerryDunn has a Responsible PTO Policy with no defined “bank”
V6. Wellness and Disability Accommodation (check all that apply)
 

  • On-site clinic
  • Subsidized gym/fitness membership
  • On-site gym/fitness membership
  • Ergonomic accommodations beyond ADA minimum
  • Ergonomic consults
  • Ergonomic equipment provided
  • Technology accommodations beyond ADA minimum
  • Other
V6 – Other Comments
  Visiting nurses for flu shots; annual nurse visits for health screenings, which earn a $700 deposit into employees’ HSA accounts; well-being reimbursements for up to $150/year for gym membership or other physical activity aids; free gym at headquarters; onsite fitness classes; discounted personal training; virtual fitness classes; discounted virtual personal training; nutrition counseling covered at 100% deductible waived
V7. What types of work/life conflicts are common and distinctive to workers in public accounting, especially tied to your firm's main specialties or priorities?
  Public accounting is a demanding profession and attention to appropriate work-life balance has long been one of our defining values. This can be challenging to maintain, particularly during busy season (different for each practice) or when client engagements require travel and time away from home. Some of our consultants regularly exceed 100 days of travel per year during non-pandemic times. These challenges tend to intensify as employees move through different stages of life (particularly as employees become caregivers for children, aging parents, or others).

Demanding workloads can also make it challenging to attend to physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. Without a deliberate approach, it can even be difficult to find time to attend to individual professional well-being needs – notably continuing to cultivate purpose in your work and investing in professional growth.

V8. How are managers trained and coached to leverage your organization's work/life programs to keep employee and team productivity on track?
  Firmwide, leaders encourage workers to participate in the well-being programs offered by the well-being committee throughout the year.

New managers get HR basic training, including flexibility options and when to include HR for support.

Policies and procedures are easily accessible on the Intranet. The firm has a robust HR Intranet page, as well as a comprehensive Well-being page that provides information about offerings across the five dimensions of physical, mental, social, financial, and career.

This year, we piloted Mental Health First Aid training with a small group of managers. We have plans to expand this offering to encourage more managers to become mental health first aid certified.

All new hires are informed about responsible PTO (which means no set number of days) and onboarding partners coach hires on how to utilize responsible PTO.

Time budgets build in paid time off and reviewed regularly to assess time off and workloads.

Expectation that managers will model using responsible PTO.

Top-down messaging in firm-wide emails – focused on taking time off and managing boundaries between work and life.

We also offer well-being programming in support of managing healthy work-life boundaries.

V9. How do you track the financial ROI of work/life programs (beyond a simple count of the number of employees that use the programs)?
  We look at retention as a primary indicator of the success of programs that support a healthy work/life blend. The firm’s trailing 12 month turnover (reflecting our most recent fiscal year), was 11.5%; that is well below our comparative industry benchmarks. We have an annual well-being survey as well as a biennial employee engagement survey. Both surveys include questions directly addressing work-life balance. The well-being survey asks additional questions that provide insight into the effectiveness of our programming.

91% of the firm agree or strongly agree that “Our firm’s vision and values reflect the importance of employee well-being,” 79% agree or strongly agree that “Our firm fosters well-being; it is an expected and accepted part of our work life,” and 55% agree or strongly agree that “As a BerryDunn employee I have seen a positive change in my well-being in response to the programming and resources provided.

Feedback quotes:

BerryDunn's efforts and programs to support the well being for its employees is very impressive. I am so glad that I made the decision to work here.

Opportunities are plentiful in the self-care, well-being focus. Overall, the firm has a great program and is very much appreciated!

In our first administration of the Gallup Q12 employee engagement survey, the firm had over 80% of employees participate in the process. When we look at the overall employee engagement at the firm, the mean, on a 5-point scale across the 12 engagement items, was 4.17. According to Gallup, this puts the firm in the 57th percentile when compared to Gallup’s Q12 client database.The firm measures new hires' engagement during the onboarding phase at multiple times with 90-day, six month, and one-year surveys. We have gauged that 90% of new hires have had their well-being improved in the past year as a BerryDunn employee. Within the most recent fiscal year 80% of employees have had a healthy work-life balance.

V10. Please provide some specific case studies and profiles of how work/life programs have recruited and retained employees with work/life challenges, while at the same time enabling your organization to meet its productivity goals.
  Alternative work schedules for a variety of scenarios. Multiple examples of individuals on AWS being promoted to senior level positions:

Parents

Individuals with eldercare responsibilities

Individual pursuing higher education/secondary degrees/etc.

Remote and hybrid employees

Starting with recruitment, we take a highly consultative approach to supporting potential new hires to understand their benefits and how BerryDunn can support their needs.

Many of our mothers returning to work make use of our lactation rooms.

Numerous examples of financial support for educational assistance in alignment with essential job functions and career advancement opportunities

V11. How does your organization cultivate daily wellness habits that help keep employees productive and also help manage health care costs?
  The firm views well-being as an essential element of our business strategy. Three years ago, we initiated a comprehensive well-being initiative to replace our wellness program. Our well-being initiative considers the whole person by addressing physical, mental, social, financial, and career well-being. Not only do we ensure that there are inclusive and approachable benefits, events, and resources in each of these areas, but we also put a great deal of emphasis on how our working environment promotes a culture of well-being. We are deliberate about the role of leadership sponsorship, team dynamics, flexible work arrangements, manager engagement, and the virtual and physical built environment in cultivating a culture of well-being.

Our well-being program is managed by our Culture and Engagement Team (notably, our Well-being Manager) in conjunction with our well-being committee.

Some examples of specific programs offered throughout the year include annual health screenings, firm-wide activity challenges, online and in-person fitness (onsite gym and fitness studio in our headquarters location), twice-per-week guided virtual meditation breaks, twice-per-week guided virtual stretch breaks, financial coaching opportunities, nutrition counseling opportunities (also covered 100% before deductible as part of the health plan), healthy meal prep webinars, physical well-being reimbursement, and book socials and watercooler chats. We publish a quarterly Well-being newsletter that features articles contributed by employees across the firm related to the five dimensions of physical, mental, social, financial, and career well-being.

V12. What other work/life programs, practices and innovations support productivity?
  In addition to the programs listed in V11, we offer many free educational sessions and pay for attendance to conferences and trainings that the employee can choose from, including topics on managing time, work/life balance, finding purpose and meaning, and creativity/imagination.

We also see Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility as essential components of supporting engagement, well-being, and productivity. Our firm recently developed a DEIBA strategic plan and hired a Directory of DEIBA, Engagement, and Well-being.

V13a. Does your firm track/count the number of LGBTQ / nonbinary employees?
  No
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
E1. Internal entrepreneurship (check all that apply)
 

  • Training in essential business skills beyond C.P.E.
  • Training to equip employees to develop and pursue new business
  • Internal incubators for employee ideas
  • Internal communications about employee entrepreneurship & results
  • Organizational marketing tied to external sponsorship/support of entrepreneurs
E2. Does your company track former employees who might contribute to the company as a supplier or contractor? (check all that apply)
 

  • Exit interviews for former employees
  • Alumni networks of former employees for temp & contract work
  • Informal communication with key former employees
  • Communication tools to reach alumni employees (website; newsletter; etc.)
E3. Please indicate how employee resouce groups have contributed to your firm's growth (check all that apply)
 

  • New business opportunities
  • Shaped go-to-market for new practices/lines of business
  • Internal networking
  • Internal referrals
  • External networking
  • External referrals
E4. Does your company track the proportion of women/minority business enterprise suppliers?
  Yes
E5. How does your organization invest in the success of women/minority business enterprises? (check all that apply)
 

  • C-level review of W/MBE spend at least annually
  • Collaborate with women and minority small business centers or similar programs
  • Assist W/MBE owners in collaborating with other W/MBE owners for contracts
  • Other
E5 – Other Comments
  We regularly partner with disadvantaged business entities including W/MBE companies on our government contracts in support of client supplier diversity programs. We submit reports to these clients on our supplier diversity spend regularly but cannot share our clients’ reports.

We look at our subcontractor disadvantaged business entity spend annually, including W/MBE engagement.

While we do not have a firm minimum number of W/MBEs for each contract, we work with hundreds of local, state, and municipal governments who do often have minimums, so we maintain dedicated recruiters and have a dedicated procurement process for subcontractors to partner with us on our engagement opportunities. This team cultivates relationships and keeps a full pipeline of W/MBEs for us to hire or co-propose on projects. When a project is not the right fit for us, we regularly refer work to the W/MBEs with whom we’ve developed relationships

E6. How does your organization achieve its business growth and profitability goals by collaborating with diverse suppliers?
  We regularly utilize the services of small business enterprises, minority-owned business enterprises, and women-owned business enterprises, including for client project work and in various capacities in the daily operation of our firm.

In addition, BerryDunn supports disadvantaged businesses in the communities in and around our office locations through our involvement in civic and charitable organizations. This approach provides us with a broader range of experiences and allows us to go after more opportunities across our markets. We also believe that the diversity of our suppliers allows us to have a different, and sometimes unique, perspective to improve our work and make us more successful.

E7. How does your organization leverage its track record with diverse suppliers to better market to women and minorities?
  We use different methods of communication to educate and market how we partner with diverse suppliers across projects and regions when having meetings with or writing proposals for organizations, particularly in the government consulting industries we serve.

Our recruiting team proactively meets with diverse suppliers to understand their services and how we can partner with them effectively for our work.

E8. How does the firm foster innovations that might lead to new lines of business and how are rising women and minorities/people of color involved in these efforts?
  Collaborative opportunities and our Opportunity Management/Business Development team provides a forum for discussing emerging trends across our Practice Groups, encouraging a variety of teams and staff levels to suggest new lines of business or services we might offer.

Our firm’s DEIBA council provides input to our sales strategy and our vision for expanding work to include diverse suppliers and our continued commitment to serving diverse communities.

E9. Please provide some specific case studies and profiles of how your company fosters entrepreneurship and supplier diversity, highlighting specific instances when these practices drove business results and firm reputation.
  As mentioned above, our strategy is to pursue opportunities using the best team possible for our work. Our staffing approach to many projects is to consider diversity on our team so that we can appropriately represent the communities we are serving. We have a goal to consistently broaden our engagement reach and impact nationwide as we grow throughout the regions, municipalities and states across the country. We have recently expanded our reach to Hawaii and Puerto Rico and have brought members of the local communities on to our teams.
Final Section
Does your firm have a flexible or customized partnership model?
  No
Customized Partnerships
  BerryDunn provides a variety of opportunities for growth and development on a case-by-case basis for individuals at the Firm. While we don’t yet have a defined, customized partnership model, the firm offers flexible solutions to women that support their growth to partner.
Customized Partnerships
  Our CEO, Sarah Belliveau, began her career with BerryDunn in 1992 and worked her way up from staff, to Manager, and to Practice Group Leader. In her role as CEO, she is on a mission to create more opportunities for women to pursue similar paths to leadership roles.

Women represent 42% of our Principal team. Each of them has a different story and path. Shea Berry-Brennan, a newly promoted Principal, has been outspoken about the flexibility that the firm has offered her as a working mom and firm leader.

Confidential Snapshot
  Areas that were helpful in our 2021 report that we’d like to continue to see feedback on include: successes to celebrate in our work of our diversity efforts and areas where the firm should focus more effort to foster continuous improvement; quantitative and qualitative analysis and benchmarking against other firms participating.
Final Question
  The process for our team was seamless and provided us ample time to complete the survey and interview. We appreciate the flexibility of the team with our schedules. The process of submitting online is much more efficient than the previous process.
Date Entered
  07/14/2023
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