Internally as a group, we’ve always known Foerstel is a great place to work. Heck, some people have been loyal to Tom for over 25 years and now, the company as a whole is being recognized as a “Best Place to Work in Idaho” by the Idaho Business Review.
I’m writing this as the “new kid on the block”. I am Megan and I am a part-time employee at Foerstel in Marketing/PR and I started in October 2012. Having only lived in Boise for about 4-1/2 years, I’ve always felt Foerstel was the top-notch agency in town – they were different than others for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, until I got on the inside.
The environment here is open and fresh, the employees are warm and welcoming, the leadership is engaged and inspiring, the mission is about sustainability and design, the lack of communication is minimal, if not obsolete, and the entire team is united and creative freedom is encouraged. The mere combination of these is something I have never experienced in my professional career. I can truly say that Foerstel is indeed a fabulous place to work.
Despite being an employee here only half of the time for about half of a year, I am not alone. I asked everyone else why they considered Foerstel a great place to work and these are their responses:
“It’s all about teamwork. We’re all here for the client and here for each other.” – Marie Brochier (employee for 25 years)
“Flexibility!!!” – Mary K Johnson (employee for 10 years)
“The absolute best reason to work here is the “Freedom” that Tom not only provides but fosters! The freedom to be creative, to be flexible, to work together or separately, to eat anytime or anything we want on work time, the freedom of space that we have to enjoy inside and outside of the office, plus the freedom to choose to be here…which we all do, everyday!” – Laura Martin (employee for 5 years)
“Generous and compassionate management; and flexible work schedules.” – Janell Count (employee for 13 years)
“Great health, dental and vision coverage. Massage day every other week. Good clients, interesting work, a variety of challenges each day. Open work environment, no cubicles. Flexibility in work hours to accommodate personal errands or issues that arise. Generous vacation and holiday time off. We work on Macs not peecees.” – Mark Curtis (employee for 26 years)
“I have lots of answers spanning from massage Wednesday to working in an environment where I genuinely like the people I work with – both as coworkers and clients. Having a boss that recognizes quality of life – doesn’t expect or want us to work a bazillion hours – and is supportive. I think there’s a lot of freedom here to grow and learn new things. Shall I go on and on? :)” – Linda Whittig (employee for 21 years)
“My favorite thing about working here is how well Tom treats his employees. He surprises us with birthday treats, we get messages every other week, he encourages us to participate in industry-related events on behalf of Foerstel and the Boise design community. In general, a good guy all around!” – Jeremy Oliver (employee for 1.5 years)
“One of the reasons is the projects we work on: They are for companies who pledge social and environmental responsibility and allow us to contribute to the well being of the planet. And did I mention bi-weekly massages?” – Claudia Button (employee for 10 years)
“Great work and great people to work with in an easy-going environment.” – Jeff Harder (employee for over 11 years)
“Foerstel has hired a group of talented people that enjoy their work. We work well together and we have a generous boss.” – Kim Bergquist (employee for 7 years)
“I love working at Foerstel. The people here are so diverse. I learn something new and exciting everyday.” – Daryl Beeson (employee for 16 years)
Congratulations Tom and all of the Foerstel team; I am proud to be a part of it.
Foerstel is among other honorees who will be acknowledged at an awards ceremony Thursday, April 18, 2013 at the Linen Building in Boise, ID. For tickets to the event, please contact the Idaho Business Review directly at 208-336-3768 or reserve online here. A special publication will be available at the event as well as go to all IBR subscribers and newsstands on April 19, 2013.
