OMRF is named Oklahoma’s best place to work—again.
Scientific excellence requires a host of ingredients: dedication, attention to detail, resilience, innovation. Each of these, in turn, relies on having a staff that’s both talented and committed to solving difficult problems.
In other words, says OMRF President Dr. Steve Prescott, “The key is people. They have to believe in the scientific mission of the institution. And they have to be excited about their jobs and want to be there every day.”
Judging from the results of The Oklahoman newspaper’s 2019 Best Places to Work competition, OMRF’s staff is. Based on employee responses to a confidential online questionnaire, OMRF took the top spot in the large organization (350-plus workers) category.
An independent polling firm conducts the survey, which includes as many as 800 workplaces each year. It asks workers to rate their employers on a variety of factors that include job satisfaction, management quality, pay and benefits, and opportunity for growth. The firm uses the responses to rank employers from across Oklahoma.
OMRF received its award in December at a special reception honoring the state’s top employers. The foundation has now won the top prize two of the past three years and ranked in the top 10 every year since the Best Places to Work contest began in 2013. At the 2019 event, The Oklahoman also presented OMRF with a special award for receiving the highest marks among all organizations in all categories for the quality of its managers.
One of the factors that makes OMRF special, says Vice President of Human Resources Courtney Stevens Greenwood, is the diversity of the workforce. “We have employees here from almost 30 different countries,” she says. “They bring fresh ideas and different approaches, and that really supercharges our organization.”
Accounting clerk Nancy Flesher says OMRF’s generous vacation and sick leave policies make a major difference in her life. “I’m a caregiver for my elderly mother, and OMRF has given me the flexibility to take the time I need to spend with her and still do my job. That’s important to me.”
“We strive to give every person at OMRF not only the resources and support to succeed, but also the freedom to achieve the work-life balance essential to long-term job satisfaction,” says Greenwood.
For Dr. Chris Sansam, who joined OMRF from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it’s the commitment to mission that really makes the foundation shine. “When I came to OMRF, I noticed right away that the people who work here—at all levels—really care about doing a good job. When you see that attitude around you day after day, it makes you want to do a better job yourself.”
“We want to make OMRF a place that talented people choose to call home for their entire careers.” Dr. Stephen Prescott
