Ciuni & Panichi: Recognized as a great workplace by NorthCoast 99 for eighth consecutive year

“It’s very nice they offer this flexibility,” she says. “I can actually spend my time off with my kids instead of with contractors.”

This isn’t an exception granted to a senior staffer – McClellan is an accountant who’s only been with the firm since 2013. Instead, it’s part of the company’s philosophy to work with employees as they try to juggle life in and out of the office.

“If there are circumstances due to a death in the family or an injury or their kid is sick, we really try to work around the individual’s needs so the firm gets what it needs and the employee feels looked after and cared about,” says Jacki Bell, the firm’s human resources coordinator. “That’s how we want them to feel.”

Brian Marita started at Ciuni & Panichi as an intern in 1994 while he was still a student at John Carroll University. He was drawn there in part by the firm’s reputation and the respect it had for its employees.

Today he’s the Managing Partner, and he’s working to maintain and improve that culture that first attracted him to Ciuni & Panichi. “Our employees make or break us,” says Marita. “They’re the linchpin to our success, and if we don’t dedicate the time and resources to them, we won’t go anywhere.”

Last fall, members of the firm’s tax department had a scavenger hunt in University Circle, but it was more than just a team-building exercise for employees.

McClellan says it was a chance to learn more about Cleveland history and help employees to get to know one another. The company invited new hires and interns – who usually don’t start until the first of the year which she says made their first days of work easier.

Employees are also encouraged to come up with their own ideas to improve the workplace, Marita says, such as the initiative McClellan and several coworkers created to help women get more leadership, networking and educational opportunities.

As part of that women’s initiative, the company brought in a yoga instructor – one of the firm’s clients – to offer tips to deal with stress. Marita says other wellness programs are being planned and will be introduced within the year.

“I feel like I have an impact on the company,” says Bell. “I am recruiting. I am hiring staff. I can develop my skills, and that’s very important to me. It feels like I have some ownership.”

The women’s initiative, currently in its infancy, is also delivering food to local women’s shelters, offering after-hours networking events and bringing in speakers to talk about balancing work and home life.

Maintaining that balance is one of Marita’s biggest challenges: “It’s difficult to do in the accounting world with the concept of a billable hour,” he says. The firm also hosts a dinner dance in May, a golf outing in the summer, a meeting followed by a day of fishing and socializing at a local trout club and a bowling party in January.

It gets people out of the work environment and get to know each other,” Marita said of these events, most of which are open to employees and their families. “It’s always fun to see who your spouse works with and build relationships there.”

Published: November 2015