Clark Contractors Flexibility Fuels Work-life Balance

Clark Contractors’ portfolio includes some of the most visible and recognizable of projects, but its most lasting legacy is the impact that the company has had on the professional lives of its 85 employees.

“I think the approach [company] partners have always taken is this — if an employee has a family situation, how can we work with them to allow them to tend to that need while getting their work done?” said William Clark, CEO. “If it means nontraditional hours or days worked, it doesn’t matter to us as long as the work gets done. We don’t keep time cards on our salaried employees or track time off. We trust them to do their job, and that trust is rewarded with loyal employees who always go the extra mile.”

Clark said this flexibility is the thing employees most frequently list as what they appreciate most about the company. Travel and even temporary assignments out of town are facts of life in this business, but Clark Construction takes steps to minimize the impact such absences have on a worker’s family life.

“We know that having to work out of town is an inconvenience and stressor on a family,” Clark said. “Our employees benefit financially from out-of-town work and we staff our jobs in a way that allows them to make regular trips home where they can spend good time with their family. This greatly reduces voluntary turnover among our field staff.

“It also helps us recruit because applicants we talk to get reviews from our field staff about how we work our traveling staff.”

“Our employees know that we are flexible as it relates to their personal lives. We also encourage everyone to speak up with ideas where we can do things better. Happy employees do better work.” — William Clark, CEO

The company’s attitude is a reflection of its employee-centric core values, which emphasize family spirit, relationships, teamwork, transparency and trust, among others. Clark said management looks for multiple opportunities to reinforce these values on a day-in, day-out basis.

“We have supervisory people checking in on their subordinates multiple times a week, including lunches or dinners away from the job that allow for conversations about non-work issues,” he said. “This has really helped us develop trust among and good relationships with our people that help us run the company better. The employees are confident they have the tools to succeed at work and our support that they can do what they need to with their families.

“I think the best workplace is one where people are given support and encouragement to help them realize their professional goals within a family-like atmosphere and know that their opinions and suggestions actually count for something. At Clark Contractors, we understand that work is what we do and not who we are.”