Doug Robidoux is a self-described “boomerang.”
The title partner and Costa Mesa office president of Little describes how he temporarily left the company more than two decades ago.
Robidoux, a New Orleans native, joined Little’s North Carolina office after college. After a time, missing his family, he moved back to Louisiana to be closer to them.
His experience at Little stayed with him, though—he had never worked at a company as special and unique as that company was.
So he returned to Little less than two years later and never looked back. In September, Robidoux will celebrate 21 years with the company since his return.
And he isn’t the only one who has come back after a stint elsewhere. Many of Little’s 246 employees have returned to the company and stayed on for years, Robidoux said. The company has in a very real sense become part of them. They say it’s far more than a place to work: Little is a family, a place where people feel appreciated, respected and part of something bigger than themselves.
It’s a corporate culture that has its roots in the personal philosophy of the company’s founder, and it’s the reason Little is the Business Journal’s best midsize place to work in Orange County (see list, page 43). Midsize companies, for the purposes of the list, have between 50 and 249 employees.
Architect Bill Little founded the company 40 years ago in Charlotte, N.C. Four decades later, Little is one of the country’s leading architectural consulting firms, with a national network of professionals.
Robidoux recalled working with the founder, who mentored him. Bill Little died on July 17 at 78.
“I was fortunate to work with Bill Little,” he said. “He was a remarkable leader, in that he quickly recognized what people were good at and gave them the opportunity to pursue it.”
According to Robidoux, Bill Little believed that if you give people the tools they need to be successful, then you in turn will become successful. His theory has proven itself over and over again at the company he founded: Robidoux said employees strive to meet and surpass every benchmark company leaders set.
Costa Mesa Office
Robidoux said Bill Little’s philosophy has rubbed off on him.
He, his wife and young children moved to California in 2005 when the company offered him the opportunity to run the Costa Mesa office.
He said his goal is to manage the 30-plus employees there with the same consideration, transparency and open communication his mentor showed.
“Since we’re a relatively small office,” he said, “we all know each other. We know each other’s spouses, families.”
Employees enjoy spending time together outside the office.
Each year, the office treats them and their families to an Angels game. There are also group picnics, birthday celebrations, holiday parties and barbecues. The lunchroom has a pingpong table, where tournaments have been held for office bragging rights, and on some Fridays, employees are encouraged to trade their practical footwear for a comfortable pair of flip-flops.
Earning Recognition
The managers at Little encourage and support entrepreneurship within the company.
“If someone has an idea on how to improve the company, we listen,” Robidoux said.
Employees are encouraged to run with their ideas, as long as they align with what Little represents.
The company rewards individual employees in other tangible ways. Any worker of any level can earn the title of associate or senior associate, a distinction that represents the best of the best. Peers do the nominating for the designations, then nominees go through a selection process in which managers evaluate their contribution to the company.
Robidoux said it’s an honor to gain the associate or senior associate titles because they show the employees are what others should strive to be. Employees are frequently thanked for their hard work with gift cards, books or other items selected just for them.
More Than Work
Little also places a strong emphasis on work-life balance.
The company has never held to “punching a time clock,” Robidoux said.
Employees who meet their goals enjoy flexible hours that allow them to spend time with their families as needed.
Everyone gets a company laptop computer so they can access their projects from anywhere, and some employees who live far from the office have the option to telecommute a day or two a week.
One result of Little’s philosophy of transparency is its practice throughout the year of sharing the company’s financial information with employees so they know how the company is doing at any time.
At year-end, the majority of the company’s profits are returned to the employees through incentive compensation or via profit sharing that goes toward their retirement.
The company offers a benefits package that includes 25 paid time-off days that employees can use any way they like, be it vacation or sick time. It covers most, if not all, of employees’ healthcare costs. And its wellness program for associates, senior associates and managers pays for a monthly gym membership, yoga classes and a personal trainer or other health-related expenditures.
