Comparably’s Best HR Teams list recognizes the nation’s top HR departments. There are over 299,440 Human Resources Managers currently employed in the United States, and Optima is proud to announce that our HR team has ranked in the Top 50!
About Comparably
Comparably is a leading workplace culture and corporate brand reputation platform with over 15 million anonymous employee ratings on 70,000 companies. Comparably awards are based on feedback provided by current employees in several categories. Workplace culture categories included the following:
Compensation
Leadership
Co-workers
Work-life balance
Professional development opportunities
Perks and benefits
Executive Team
Retention
Happiness
Meetings
Diversity
Team
CEO Rating
Manager
eNPS
Gender
Overall Culture
Office Culture
Of nearly 20 different categories total, all ratings were provided from March 2021 through March 2022.
Optima’s HR Team
Optima’s Associate VP of Human Resources Kimberly Carson shared her experience working with Optima, saying, “When I came to Optima, I was provided the opportunity to build almost an entirely new HR department/team. We have been incredibly blessed for the way that both the current and new HR team members have come together to show support for one another in working as a team, to be selfless and supportive every day, and exhibit a true love for life and positivity. I wake up each day excited to work with this team, and I feel incredibly honored that their efforts are being recognized for all the great work they do to make it the best department! I could not be prouder of our team!”
Optima is just as honored to have the great support system that is our HR department. We look forward to our company’s growth and improvement in all categories for next year’s list. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!
Optima Tax Relief has once again teamed up with the IRS to provide assistance to low-income residents and other members of their surrounding community with free tax preparation services. Over 100 members of Optima’s staff registered with the United Way of Orange County, California to participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which was launched by the IRS to provide free tax preparation services to those such as:
Persons with disabilities
Limited English-speaking taxpayers
Elderly taxpayers
Low to moderate-income taxpayers
The free tax help offered by the VITA program is particularly beneficial for those who are 60 years of age and older, as it specializes in questions about pensions and other retirement-related issues that are unique to seniors. Many of the community members who would qualify for the program are retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS. This year, however, we saw a wide range of ages attend for assistance. We were happy to help anyone that we could!
“It gave me the opportunity to offer assistance, to the people of our community, who may not have had the fortune to go elsewhere for tax assistance and walk away with a smile on their face for the help and guidance they received,” said Associate Director of Payments Steve Stoffel.
SVP of Accounting, Richard Hamiprodjo called volunteering for the VITA program “a rewarding experience getting involved with the community and helping those who are in need.”
By partnering with the IRS, the VITA program is able to offer reliable, trustworthy tax filing services for free. Optima’s volunteers for the VITA program helped with tax preparation, greeting guests, and some gathered the appropriate tax documents from taxpayers.
Associate VP of Human Resources Kimberly Carson was also a volunteer this year. She shared her thoughts and experience, saying, “It was great to have the opportunity to give back to our community and help people with getting their taxes completed. Not everyone has extra money to get their taxes done by professionals to ensure it is done correctly, so to be able to provide this service to the community is not only needed but fulfilling. Thank you for the opportunity!”
Our volunteers exclaimed how exciting and fulfilling it was to be part of this event. The culture within Optima is very community oriented, and it shows through the tenacity Optimians have for helping others and connecting. Martha Casillas, a Payments Coordinator at Optima said, “My participation as a VITA volunteer gave me a boost of self-confidence, and self-esteem within the company. Being new to the OTR family, it also allowed me to connect with other Optimians, as well as see some of the involvements OTR has within the surrounding communities.”
Case Manager Kateri Drewes added, “For me, being a VITA volunteer means taking the time to give back to my local community. I cherish the opportunity to help folks get the care and quality service they deserve!”
Optima looks forward to working with United Way to host our very own VITA site at our California office next year. Our goal is to serve more taxpayers with a bigger outreach in the Santa Ana community.
Optima Tax Relief is proud to announce that we have earned our second BBB Torch Award! This award puts the spotlight on businesses with exceptional dedication to integrity and ethical business practices.
The Torch Award is just the latest in the series of awards Optima has earned this year, including the Orange County Civic 50, Top Workplaces USA, and several Stevie Awards for best-in-class Consumer Service.
“The Torch Award, as well as the other awards we have been honored to receive this year, all stem from the uplifting, people-first culture that Optima is built upon,” said Kimberly Carson, Optima’s Director of Human Resources. “Having a supportive, nurturing environment, unified around always doing what is right, is what powers our success.”
You can read more about the Torch Award in the California Business Journal here.
Click here to read more quotes from our executives and learn about the work that Optima did to be a two-time recipient of the Torch Award.
