Ingredients for a Best Place to Work: Being a people-first company, at its core, means collaboration. And at Competitive Edge (asi/166085), where CEO Mary Jo Tomasini often quips that they’re not “the mediocre edge,” they don’t do anything halfway. Whether it’s learning what motivates a team in order to offer more effective feedback (positive or negative), building a robust onboarding plan that includes both online modules and comprehensive team member shadowing, or a hybrid schedule, Tomasini’s top priority for her small team is building a workplace where people want to – and feel comfortable – building their careers.

The Competitive Edge (asi/166085) team enjoys making special moments, whether at the home office in Michigan or out and about at trade shows.

“Our leadership is exceptional at giving us flexibility when we need it,” says director of strategic planning Jill Wygonik. “They understand that life happens – and we always feel supported when life happens.”

Top Benefits & Perks: On a concrete level, that flexibility comes in the form of a generous PTO policy that includes half-day Fridays, birthdays off and a company closure from Christmas to New Year’s so employees can enjoy the holidays with their families. But on a smaller scale, it’s also employee enrichment events planned by the Fun Committee, giving out gas station gift cards during a spike in prices, or bonuses for achieving industry certifications. Altogether, it’s really “a collective effort to make people feel special,” says Customer Liaison Maria Laskowski.

Parting Tip: “Do unto others as they would like to have done onto themselves” is Tomasini’s “platinum” rule. In other words, don’t just treat people how you would want to be treated, treat people how they would want to be treated.

If Competitive Edge Were a Movie, It Would Be The Intern. “It’s about a growing company with a strong culture, a hands-on founder and a team that genuinely cares about one another,” Tomasini says. “The company is fast-moving and entrepreneurial, but relationships and mentorship matter just as much as results.”