2020 is One for the Records: DES Scores Top Workplace, Again

For some, 2020 will be momentous because of a tiny, spikey, microbe called COVID-19 that has upended life as we know it. But for DES, 2020 marks our 4th win of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Top Workplaces award.

The Top Workplaces award is based on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey research partner that measures 15 distinct culture drivers. Questions covered essential areas such as communication, appreciation, and making a difference. The surveys are then parsed and rated on a scale relative to other similar business entrants – and those scoring top marks received the award.

In other years, two representatives of each winning company would attend an in-person award at the Rivers Casino. This year (because of that tiny, spikey microbe), the ceremony went virtual – which meant everyone could participate. Which we did! We ordered individually-packed Italian sandwiches from a local eatery, set up some outdoor tents in the DES parking lot so we could sit safely outdoors, enjoy each other and watch the show. Meanwhile, field managers treated our field techs to lunch so they could join in on the occasion.

“DES has a very welcoming vibe,“ commented newcomer Haley Burk. She is a Customer Engagement Specialist in the recently-formed Customer Engagement department. “The people are front and center of everything we do.”

Bill Cassol, a Sales Engineer for the security department, recently marked 17 years at DES. “Every customer is unique,” he observed, “And this makes my work so dynamic. I’m constantly challenged to produce new solutions.”

As a telecommunications provider and technology integrator, DES is classified as an essential business and has remained open and operational since the pandemic hit the USA in March. As businesses navigated this unchartered territory, DES account managers and solution engineers have worked closely with their clients to provide tools for business continuity. DES technicians have pulled network cable to temporary COVID-19 testing sites; Network engineers have enabled homebound schoolchildren to access their school’s Wi-Fi network; multimedia engineers have designed hybrid classrooms for higher education; security technicians have installed touchless thermal screening entry points in high-traffic buildings.

“These past months have put our people to the test,” stated DES President, Bob Dagostino, “I’m humbled by our field techs for putting themselves on the frontlines of essential work. I am thankful to the office staff, account managers and engineers for driving business and excelling at solution design. I firmly believe that the values instilled in the company have made this a workplace that has succeeded in these unpredictable times.”

The full list of Top Workplace awardees was printed by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on September 20, 2020.