Forward Financing on BBJ’s Best Places to Work
April 19, 2021 | Company News
April 19, 2021 – The Boston Business Journal has named Forward Financing to its 2021 Best Places to Work list — the BBJ’s exclusive ranking of the Massachusetts companies that have built outstanding work environments for their people. This is the second consecutive year that the BBJ has named Forward Financing to its prestigious list.
Recognition by the BBJ
“Thank you to the Boston Business Journal for this incredible honor of being named on its Best Places to Work list,” said Shannon Braley, Senior Director of People & Culture. “Our team members work hard to make Forward Financing a supportive environment that motivates our team to be their authentic selves, learn new skills, and advance their careers. Congratulations to all of the other honorees!”
Employees participated in employee engagement surveys distributed by Boston Business Journal partner Quantum Workplace that asked them to rate their work environment, work-life balance, job satisfaction, advancement opportunities, management, compensation, and benefits.
Focus on Community & Professional Growth
Despite the challenges of remote work due to COVID, Forward has been dedicated to transparent communication, helping its employees to grow, and maintaining its strong sense of community.
“Over the past year, learning and development initiatives have been one of our top priorities. We created a $2,000 professional development budget for each employee to use for conferences, tuition, and training. We also revised our review process to take place quarterly, instead of biannually, so that team members are getting more timely feedback about their progress and development areas,” said Braley.
Striving for Personal Development & Camaraderie
In addition, Forward has focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives over the past year. The company created a DEI committee that meets biweekly to identify ways the company can make the interviewing process more inclusive and can better support its employees. The team planned several conversations about the impact of race in the workplace, from informal coffee chats about the book, White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, to training led by professional DEI speakers.
Team-building events have always been an important aspect of the company’s culture. While these events had to take place virtually this year, team members still enjoyed holiday-themed scavenger hunts, Family Feud game night, and happy hours. The company also hosts a weekly team meeting to share company and department updates and offer peer recognition to team members who have gone above and beyond.
“In a year that has brought incredible challenges for everyone both personally and in business, it is a true testament to great organizations to be named a Best Place to Work,” said BBJ’s Market President and Publisher Carolyn Jones. “We congratulate all of our honorees and look forward to learning from them on how to create and sustain outstanding workplaces.”
About Forward Financing
Forward Financing is a Boston-based financial technology company that provides fast, flexible working capital to small businesses nationwide. Our dedicated account representatives and advanced proprietary technology help our customers spend less time finding capital and more time growing their businesses. With a simple, secure online application, business owners can trust that Forward Financing works to get them approvals within minutes, funding within hours, and personalized support when they need it most.
Since 2012, Forward Financing has expanded Main Street’s access to capital by providing over $1 billion in funding to more than 26,000 small businesses. The company is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau and consistently receives top ratings across all major customer review platforms. Inc. Magazine and the Boston Business Journal have named Forward Financing as one of Massachusetts’ fastest-growing companies each year since 2017. Forward Financing is committed to helping more small business owners succeed and achieve their full potential. To learn more, visit www.forwardfinancing.com.
About the Boston Business Journal
The Boston Business Journal is the region’s premier business media organization, one of 43 markets owned by American City Business Journals. For marketing and sponsorship opportunities, contact the Business Journal today.