VIRGINIA BEACH: IssueTrak, an internationally recognized leader in issue tracking, help desk and customer support software, has been recognized as one of the best places to work in Hampton Roads by Inside Business, the Hampton Roads Business Journal. IssueTrak was awarded first place in the Small Business category.

"Making work as much fun as possible has always been important to us," said Hank Luhring, CEO of IssueTrak. "The nerf gun wars and our monthly Brewdiggity, where we taste-test unique beers to recognize birthdays and other accomplishments, represent the lighter side. But at a deeper level, employee satisfaction and comfort have always been a top priority. We have wonderful people working here and it is essential to us that they are empowered to be successful inside and outside the workplace."

"We provide tools for open communication as a company, as individual departments and for each employee one-on-one. Goals are well-defined, ideas and suggestions are encouraged, and success is shared," adds Human Resources Manager Deb Gillies. "We also have a number of employee recognition programs, including an 'Above and Beyond' award each month where the recipients receive $50 gift cards. The net result is a high level of employee satisfaction and an extremely low turnover rate of just 1.7%."

Women make up 50 percent of IssueTrak's senior leadership team. Of the total workforce, 18 percent are minorities and 49 percent are women. Veterans and retirees are on staff. Benefits include flexible work arrangements, telecommuting, and profit-sharing.

To be selected for the Best Places to Work award, now in its eighth year, companies submitted information about their culture, annual turnover, employee satisfaction, fair and equitable treatment, compensation, benefits, and employee training opportunities. Each company also had to have a sufficient number of employees respond to an online employee survey. Results of those surveys along with scores the judges gave to the other information were used to determine the 12 companies honored this year.

About IssueTrak:
IssueTrak develops, sells and supports issue tracking software. First released in 2000, its signature software package has become a robust platform for internal and external customer support, IT help desk, workflow management, and issue tracking throughout the enterprise. The 100% web-based software is currently used by more than 1,500 companies in 34 countries, and across 54 major industry groups. Based in Virginia Beach, VA, the company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and has been recognized with a number of awards, including the Inc 500, Inc 5000, and Deloitte Technology Fast 500.