Our Workplace

• Our Employees
• How We Work

Life-work balance is more than a buzzword at SBC. We focus on a highly efficient thirty-five hour work week to allow our employees time outside the office to pursue their professional goals and enjoy those activities that nurture their lives. This style of management leads to lower turnover, higher morale and a more productive team. In 2010 we began the year with three full-time employees and were regrettably forced to reduce our headcount to two full-time employees by mid-year. We brought five interns on board at different points throughout the year for various durations, which resulted in the full-time equivalent of 3.08 employees.

SBC's policy is to analyze candidates based on the following criteria: direct hands-on experience implementing sustainability, education (degrees, certificates, etc.), how career goals align with sustainability, philosophy on sustainability, and most importantly, how the candidate can be a steward of our culture. The CEO checks in with all new hires after six weeks and three months to assess how well the new hire is embracing company culture and managing client work to ensure job satisfaction and performance is high.

Employeee of the Decade

As SBC’s longest running employee and two-time employee of the year winner, consultant Ruth Lee was recognized as the Employee of the Decade for her high level of commitment to SBC’s vision, tireless work ethic for her clients and ability to create a positive and productive work environment. Ruth shared that “This award was totally unexpected and very touching. After working here for several years and seeing our ups and downs, it really means something to get this recognition from SBC.”

Ruth Lee is an expert in carbon footprint analyses, sustainability assessments and developing tools that provide transparency in data sourcing. She has assisted dozens of companies with their carbon benchmarking and sustainability reduction strategies as well as formal reporting through organizations such as the Climate Registry and the Global Reporting Initiative. As a member of a close knit team at SBC, she faced challenges due to a reduction in staff in 2010.

Ruth was the innovator behind SBC’s new sustainability assessment. “I wanted a way to bring together many of the different aspects of sustainability for our clients. I feel fortunate to be in an environment where I can create a new program and watch it develop into a core aspect of the business,” Ruth said. “It’s a great feeling.” Kevin Wilhelm, SBC's CEO shared, “In 2010 we began to live up to our full potential due to the hard work and dedication of consultant Ruth Lee.”

In her spare time, Ruth loves exploring the world of mycology, tending to her indoor garden and is proud to be the winner of the 2010 Halloween Costume Competition. She spends her time with family and friends, playing tennis and traveling when she can, especially to her favorite city, San Francisco. “The people I work with are truly spectacular but the thing that I value most here at SBC is the importance of the work we are doing. It’s exciting to come to work each day to a place where I can know I’m making a difference and have such room for growth. When I think of when I started here as an intern, I had no idea that it would take me as far as it has!”

How We Work

Positive Atmosphere

Employees are more than machines to complete tasks and meet deadlines; they are people and should be treated as such!

Everyone at SBC is appreciated for their contributions and each accomplishment is celebrated as a group. Whether it is landing a new client, a project well done, or personal events like birthdays, we always jump at a chance to celebrate. Whether you are a client or an employee, interacting with us at SBC will always be rewarding and likely a fun experience.

Feedback and Goal Setting

Feedback is imperative for growth and improvement. At SBC every employee – including the CEO— undergoes an annual 360 degree review to acknowledge strengths and identify opportunities for improvement. Additionally, we have an open-door policy and quarterly one-on-one meetings to discuss personal and professional growth. In addition to the internal feedback mentioned above, our senior team met biannually to discuss strategy, goals, trends and progress toward goals. In 2010, these meetings were critical in bringing the Sustainability Assessment service into our core offerings.

Employees’ Sustainability Goals

All employees make and discuss personal, professional, and environmental goals each year. These are broken down into 6-month goals and year-long goals. Some goals for 2010 included purchase of an electric vehicle, learn to eskimo roll a kayak, join a non-profit board and bus to work three times each week. We meet quarterly to assess these goals and support each other in attaining them.

Human Rights