Cynthia Judkins

Cynthia Judkins knows more than most about creating environments that inspire employees to deliver extraordinary results, year after year. The reason? She spent the better part of a decade as the day-to-day project manager responsible for producing the “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, featured each year in Fortune magazine.

From creating and analyzing employee surveys to reviewing HR programs at a cumulative total of more than 1000 companies, Cynthia discovered the commonalities of success that consistently transcended any variation in leadership or quirks of company culture: deep trust and exceptional communication.

“One time I flew out to the Mayo Clinic, and no matter who I talked to – scientist, doctor, front desk attendant, janitor – everyone felt very connected to the work of the clinic,” Cynthia said. “They had this holistic, bigger-than-the-sum-of-the-parts story running through the organization that connected the mission to people’s jobs.”

That same belief in articulating one’s deeper purpose informs the approach at ROI Communication, which collaborates with clients to understand, engage and empower employees to do their best work and achieve bigger goals.

Cynthia’s expertise flows on more than 25 years as a recruiter, HR consultant, culture transformation expert and project manager of employee surveys and focus groups.

“It’s surprising how so many companies can accomplish the same level of performance in so many different ways. There is no formula. It’s not about fancy perks and a great cafeteria. It’s about how deeply people trust each other, and how they communicate,” she said.

Cynthia began her HR career as a Technical Recruiter for GW Consulting, sourcing IT consultants for Fortune 500 companies and training other recruiters. Subsequently, she advanced to become a manager at Integrated Partnerships – a national recruiting firm focused on matching people and cultures – and then built the recruiting function at Linuxcare. She went on to manage employee surveys for International Survey Research, before joining the Great Place to Work Institute.

Cynthia earned a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Vermont, and an MA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Golden Gate University. When she’s not advising clients, she enjoys spending time with her children, volunteering with their PTA and the Girl Scouts, scrapbooking, hiking, and advocating for families with neurodiverse children.