12-11-2022 Top Workplaces - Flipbook - Page 20
MIDSIZE COMPANIES
NO.1
INTERNET TESTING SYSTEMS
Balance
& care
Striving to provide technology and services
to the computer-based testing industry
BY DONNA OWENS
E
ven before the pandemic led to shifts in
America’s workplaces, CEO Pat Ward
of Internet Testing Systems recognized
that a sound work-life balance was vital
to employee satisfaction.
“We focus on creating a culture where
employees enjoy their job and want to stay. A
big part of this is having a great product with
happy customers,” said Ward, president and
CEO of the business he launched in 1997. “But it
also involves focusing on employee growth and
recognizing and believing that work should not
interfere with personal and family time. This
is especially important for a company like ITS,
which has many employees with younger children.”
Baltimore-based Internet Testing Systems
was formed with the goal of providing technology and services to the computer-based testing
industry, said Brodie Wise, the firm’s executive
vice president of business development and
marketing. ITS delivers testing programs for
clients ranging from colleges and universities to
global businesses.
The company has grown to 180 employees,
who “build solutions that fit clients’ needs and
20 | 2022 | TOPWORKPLACES
provide a superior testing experience, both for
administrators and examinees,” executives told
The Baltimore Sun.
The pandemic spurred a transition from a
traditional brick-and-mortar office to a hybrid
remote workplace.
“We leave it up to the employee how often
they come into the office,” said Ward, noting
that ITS team members are spread across the
country and world. “When COVID first hit, we
began a weekly staff meeting where we shared
information, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and participated in spirit events to make
work more fun. This temporary meeting became
a standard part of our culture and has been
one way we all get to visit with each other each
week.”
The leadership has been creative with ways
to gather employees safely for socializing with
events like parking lot parties. Some activities are employee-only, but other gatherings
welcome families. The firm plans to host future
events with its geographically diverse workforce.
Ward said that “happy employees means that
you are doing things right and are considering
everything from compensation and benefits to
the actual job.
“You need to have a vision that works at the
top of the company. But the team members,
especially your senior leadership, need to
believe and buy into that culture,” he added.
“When that happens, you get the benefit of
having a lot of smart people who are focused on
making things great. … We have a great team,
and it is the individuals who work here that