GamesIndustry.biz has announced the winners of their U.S. Best Places to Work Awards 2022, and we’re delighted to share that three EA studios have earned awards. Respawn Entertainment (Apex Legends) and Maxis (The Sims 4) were recognized as two of the best large game companies—Respawn for the second year in a row! And Industrial Toys (Battlefield Mobile) earned the Health and Wellbeing Award, and was nominated for two more: the Education Award and the Environmental Award.
When asked what earned this recognition, each studio cites diversity as a driving principle. “We talk about four core values at Maxis,” says Vice President and General Manager Catharina Lavers Mallet: “Create collaboratively, champion inclusivity, challenge ourselves, and be authentic. This helps us attract a diverse range of talent—which brings new perspectives.”
At Respawn, Vice President of Operations Daniel Suarez details a similar approach. “Everyone is empowered to take creative risks,” he says. “We give our teams autonomy to experiment and find the fun. And we put a high priority on attracting passionate, curious, and inclusive team members, and strive to have an open and inclusive culture from top to bottom.”
Industrial Toys’ three nominations represent different aspects of a singular focus, says Founder, CEO, and Studio General Manager Alex Seropian. “Those values are indicative of a culture that’s inquisitive, that cares about others,” he says. “And I think our studio is very much a learning organization; we’re always trying to do something new. I’ve always built diverse teams—that’s when you get some really interesting, magical things.”
Over the last few years, the concept of the “workplace” has changed, and all three studios are changing along with it. “Our teams need flexibility, so that’s driving all of our decisions,” says Suarez. “But after two years of working from home we’re actually finding that we’re more productive. It's clear that when we take care of our teams, they take care of our players.”
Maxis exhibits a similarly open-minded approach. “One of our core principles is that ideas can come from anywhere,” Mallet says. “The key thing is making sure everyone feels comfortable collaborating. Because players will always come up with things we didn't expect! So the more ideas we can generate to help players do what they want to do, the better.”
The pandemic has presented unique challenges to employee health, which makes Industrial Toys’ Health and Wellbeing Award all the more special. “It changed the company’s relationship with our employees,” Seropian says. “The traditional work arrangement is ‘We give you a job and you give us your time. That’s ours.’ But our approach became more of a partnership with teammates. Because teams are all about people.”
These awards couldn’t happen if it weren’t for the dedicated people who make up these studios. So please join us in congratulating everyone at Maxis, Respawn, and Industrial Toys, as well as all the other winners and nominees!
If you’d like to join one of these award-winning teams, visit Maxis, Respawn, or Industrial Toys to view openings.