Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) received 132 nominations for Frederick’s Top 50 Workplaces, which were selected based on powerful employee testimonials and each workplace’s unique strategies to attract and retain top talent. The final list also included criteria based on the company’s individual responses on the following: company’s median salary, benefits offered to employees, community involvement, work environment, professional growth opportunities and work-life balance.

Get to know four of the top 50 this month: ADTEK Engineers, Antietam Technologies, ArachnidWorks and Asbury Communities.

What Employees Are Saying

ADTEK Engineers: “ADTEK provides their employees with challenging projects that larger companies can provide, while still maintaining a smaller, more personalized atmosphere here in the heart of Frederick. They like to treat their employees fairly, reward those who go the extra mile, and provide fun social opportunities for their employees and neighbors.”

Antietam Technologies: “It's great working for Antietam. Work assignments are interesting, and you have plenty of freedom and autonomy to be able to get work done and really make an impact in supporting clients. Employees are highly valued as individual contributors, and you never feel like you are just another "number."  Ongoing learning/education is also encouraged and valued.”

ArachnidWorks: “From the initial moment our employees and clients walk into our Frederick office, they become a valued member of the AW family.”

Asbury Communities: “There are thousands of associates like us who are excited to say with pride that we have the ability to impact someone’s life for the better every day at work. Asbury Communities is changing the expectations of senior living, and that IS exciting, fulfilling work.”

What unique initiatives does your company have to attract and keep top talent?  How does your business keep employees happy and healthy?

Antietam Technologies: Antietam has always seen its employees as extended family.  Our philosophy is if you take the worry and intimidation away from your employees they will plant roots and bloom.  

ArachnidWorks: Our team works hard and plays hard!  We routinely schedule activities that allow our employees to de-stress and step away from our everyday work and connect with one another in innovative and fun ways.  We have been indoor skydiving, taken cooking classes as a group, done obstacle courses, hosted cookouts at the office for our team, and relieved stress at a local Frederick shooting range, and are planning our holiday party this year at the new axe-placing place opening soon in the area.

Asbury Communities: Our ability to attract top talent is buoyed by our strong brand presence and reputation in the market. Asbury’s Chief Human Resource Officer is also laser-focused in ensuring Asbury salaries remain competitive in each market we serve, including Frederick County.  In fact, we can proudly say that we pay a market-based living wage for our entry level associates at each of our communities. The fact that we moved our corporate office to Frederick County is incredibly attractive to potential candidates, since it’s a much better commute for employees, as well as an affordable and livable environment. All of this contributes to our ability to attract talent, but retaining talent is, in part, because of the culture that is inspired from the top by our CEO, Doug Leidig.

What are some intangible benefits your company offers? What career growth opportunities are offered?

ADTEK Engineers: We provide flexible work schedules and telecommuting options to help balance work/life needs and a monthly organic fruit delivery and bagels to help keep us going! Each department in our company hosts a monthly seminar to share something unique about their team with staff across the country. This gives us a chance to learn more about what we do and helps develop public speaking skills. Within our individual offices, ADTEK Engineers also hosts monthly team-building events from egg drop competitions to building mini-catapults. Our offices host a summer outing and we come together as a whole company each December for our annual holiday party, where we recognize service anniversaries and professional achievements over the past year.

Antietam Technologies: Because of our employee focus, we have a low turnover rate and an extremely high recommendation rate by our employees when it comes to sourcing for new hires.   We live and die by our reputations and at Antietam our employee family is our best representation. Their happiness and well-being are the best advertisement and investment.

ArachnidWorks: AW routinely supports all team members with professional development opportunities.  From putting members through Leadership programs (like LFC in Frederick), to career-specific training programs (PMP, CAPM, Photography Inbound Marketing Programs, etc.), the company is well-known for always putting our people first in their professional development - even if it's outside of what the person routinely does at AW.

Asbury Communities: Asbury benefits include tuition assistance, telecommuting and flexible work schedule options.  In addition, we have parties, crab feasts, the beer fridge, and crack ourselves up trying to get Pepper the Robot to say silly things. There’s an energy in everything we do, an intentionality, a passion for this vision we all share of redefining the expectations of aging.

What does the physical work environment look like?

ADTEK Engineers: ADTEK Engineers offers a unique and relaxed environment in the former Monocacy Valley Cannery building. Our office is a beautiful work environment providing a short walk to the MARC station and downtown Frederick.

Antietam Technologies: 90% of Antietam's staff work onsite 100% of the time at our federal customer locations, which in turn reduces our need for traditional office space.   We turn that cost savings around and share that with our employees through higher than average salaries, a 6k per year education benefit per employee, smaller out of pocket insurance costs, larger 401k matches and hefty year-end bonuses.

ArachnidWorks: Our environment is very laid-back, and the office space is fun and inviting.  Each team member has their own "AW poster" that tells a bit about each person, on a personal and fun-loving level.  It's not about what we do as marketing pros, but who we are as people.  It's the first thing visitors see when they enter our office, and we find that so many people love to read about the intricacies of the team personalities.  Our space is also inviting with fun graphical representations of what we do, and we even have a large open area with an arcade system and comfy chairs to relax and get away from the grind.

Asbury Communities: Our beautiful, open workspace office evokes “oohs” and “ahhs” from everyone who steps into the space for an interview.  It’s truly a joy to work in this office every day, and candidates coming in for an interview comment on the positive vibe of the place.  Each person has the ability to sit or stand at their workstation or grab a beverage or snack as needed.  Our space is loaded with the latest technology that allows us to video chat with other communities or share our computer screens easily with others at the touch of the button.

What activities and initiatives does your company allow employees in terms of encouraging them to give back to the community?

ADTEK Engineers: Every year ADTEK provides supply filled backpacks to 1st grade students at Hillcrest Elementary School. We are an active supporter of Skystage, providing pro bono design support for the opening and continuing support.  ADTEK provides discounted design support for Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County. We also have staff that supports Habitat on their Board.

Antietam Technologies: As a service disabled veteran owned business, we have a deep understanding of what it means to serve.  We strive to educate and provide opportunities to our employees on ways to give back to the local community.  One of our best programs has been the 40 for 40.  Every employee is offered a matching week of vacation for a week of volunteering at a registered 501.3(c) of their choice.  This program helps to instill a sense of community, appreciation and stewardship that turn into a sense of purpose other than "punching the clock".

ArachnidWorks: Our leadership is actively involved with a host of community programs, civic organizations and non-profit board membership: Rotary Club, The Frederick Rescue Mission, The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Maryland, American Advertising Federation, TechFrederick, etc.  We encourage our team members to give back in the ways that mean the most to them and this very much varies by person.

Asbury Communities: Every Tuesday, a team from Asbury delivers meals to seniors in the area as part of the “Meals on Wheels” program.  We’ve also conducted food drives to create emergency food packs for Frederick seniors in need. The industry we work in and our mission to “do all the good we can” drives our associates every day.  In our last engagement survey, 90% of Asbury associates agreed with the statement “I have the opportunity to impact someone’s life for the better every day at work.”  

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