Best Companies to Work For: Rhythmlink

On a professional level, employee motivation at Rhythmlink clearly ties back to the company’s unofficial policy of bonding outside of work and giving back to the community. Employees at Rhythmlink can enjoy 20-mile bike rides on their lunch break, trips to a baseball game or fun park, and gathering at a nearby lake for a huge barbeque. “About once a quarter, we try to do something fun outside of work,” says Lori Melton, director of marketing at Rhythmlink. “The company pays for each employee and family members (depending on the activity) so that everyone bonds, and we work better in the workforce.”

Employee enthusiasm extends into volunteer work, too. Every quarter they participate in a community service project. In the past year, employees conducted a blood drive that collected more than 100 pints of donated blood, cleaned up highways, and purchased Christmas gifts for families that they adopted. “Shawn [Regan, CEO] and Michael [O’Leary, COO] encourage everyone to participate,” says Melton. “The community sees how much we care, and it has been good for the employees because they feel like they can make a difference.”

Let’s not forget how hard the employees work either. Employee success goes beyond the company’s good communication

among departments and its open-door policy. Regan advocates for growth through classes, webinars, and reading self-improvement books, which is followed by an open discussion during the firm’s weekly group lunches. The company is also sending engineers to a three-day course that will help them learn how to use a design program that the marketing department uses. Employees are encouraged to learn about aspects of the business beyond their formal titles.

“Being a relatively small company provides the advantage of not getting lost in the shuffle. I think that we are a large enough company that we’re growing and we have lot of opportunities, but also small enough that you don’t feel lost in the numbers and your voice is heard,” says Melton. The company’s headquarters serves as a distribution center and is home to 28 employees. Its manufacturing facility is located in China, where more than 80 people work. Three members of Rhythmlink’s team work remotely. “One of the great things about Rhythmlink is that they don’t let boundaries confine them,” says Melton. “They find the best people, and if [you’re] not in Columbia, SC, they’ll work with you regardless of your location.”