LJA Engineering, Inc. (LJA) has been recognized by the Houston Chronicle as the #1Top Workplace, large company category, moving up from #2 in 2020 and 2019. With over 600 people in the Houston area and 14 offices in the region, LJA is proud to have consistently ranked as a best place to work in multiple publications throughout Texas.
LJA is a 100% employee-owned, multidisciplinary engineering and consultancy firm. The model is part of what drives the company culture. “The harder we work, the more successful the company is,” said James Ross, PE, CEO and President, “and the better it is for the employee-owners.” (No. 1 Large Co.: Transparency creates healthy workplace culture at LJA Engineering, company leaders say, The Houston Chronicle, November 11, 2021 by Rebecca Carballo, Staff writer)
“Being employee-owned is a big selling point and our family atmosphere. We are known for working hard — and we don’t shy away from that — but we are also known for playing hard. It sounds cliche, but we use that term a lot. We are a work-hard-play-hard company. We enjoy demanding projects and the schedules and timelines that come with them. When we do a good job and get those done, we also enjoy the celebration that comes afterward,” said Ross.
In addition to employee-ownership, LJA offers a comprehensive health and wellness benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, virtual medicine, employer-paid voluntary life and disability coverage, paid parental leave, leadership training, mentorship, continuing education, and educational and licensing reimbursements. LJA employee-owners enjoy nine annual paid holidays and competitive paid time off policies which include a year-end company closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
2020 was a record year for LJA, and the firm plans to exceed all previous indicators in 2021. Ross explained, “We’re continuing to grow as far as the number of people and the work and revenue that we produce. Also, geographically, we’ve expanded outside of the state of Texas. We’ve been fortunate with the employee-owners we have. They definitely have come together and made this an even stronger company during these hard times.” (LJA Engineering CEO talks about growing his company amid pandemic, change in leadership, The Houston Chronicle, November 11, 2021 by Rebecca Carballo, Staff writer)
The Houston Chronicle has released the survey for twelve years. The Top Workplaces report was announced on November 13, 2021, and is based solely and directly on employees’ feedback of their own company gathered through a third-party survey. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 drivers that contribute to culture and company success, including alignment, value, execution, connection, and specifically management, for which LJA was also recognized. LJA claimed the best workplace in the large company category out of 130 organizations recognized overall.