#19 Assurance Agency
Feeling motivated means a job well done. When you're motivated by career goals, that's great, but there's nothing wrong with being motivated from time to time by cold, hard cash. Insurance brokerage Assurance Agency gives employees plenty of reasons to want to do more, including opportunity, growth--and a little spending money.
"Assurance spoils their employees," happily reports Client Services Rep Heidi Kellas, with the company for one year. "There's the full employee benefits program, plus the Assurance Casino: you get a chip when you meet your goals, which increases your chances for cash prizes. They love employee referrals--if someone you recommend stays 90 days you get $2,000. This Friday there is an Employee Appreciation Day at Harry Carry's. There are also quarterly rewards, and we even have an Assurance 5K."
Kellas' list doesn't stop there, either. "There's always fresh fruit in the kitchen and we have a dry cleaning service two times a week." Plus, Kellas says, they care about their employees' goals, not just their wardrobe. "They promote education and the growth of employees. There are on-site classes galore and you get $100 when you pass a class. They really push education."
Steven Handmaker, VP of Marketing and Communications agrees. "Many of our gen-y employees come here with little to no insurance background -- so that's one of the things we're big on: employee education. 75% of our 205 employees are currently involved in taking some form of continuous education."
Handmaker points out that the motivation piece of the company's vision has a sense of humor, too. "We have a goofy idea mascot, 'Ivan Idea.' He's a light bulb character that regularly changes costumes. He represents our idea program. Ivan seeks to collect the ideas of every employee. Employees get paid $5 for every business improvement idea, without limit. The person with the best idea wins a $250 gift card." Everyone has an Ivan Idea cutout at their desks and there's even a "Where is Ivan?" contest, too, where employees take their Ivans all over the world on vacation, snapping pictures of him in remote locales.
For Client Services Rep Kristin Camis, the Ivan Idea program speaks to the company's larger goal of supporting its employees. "They really value and appreciate their employees," Camis says. "Ivan Idea lets you submit ideas. The company implements those ideas and you feel like you're a part of the operations. Ideas that are submitted are shared in quarterly newsletters, and the top ideas are recognized and highlighted."
"In a time when the economy is doing so poorly, we're doing better than last year, still improving," Camis says. "We're really determined in setting our goals and achieving them." And the prize at the end makes success all the sweeter.
