Best Places to Work 2019 | MIDSIZE COMPANIES (50-149 employees):
1. Edward Jones
EDWARD JONES’ RHODE ISLAND employees are very motivated. At least that’s what their response rate to the financial-advisory firm’s internal survey shows.
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An astounding 80% of Edward Jones’ staff in Rhode Island and nationwide responds to the annual survey, more than twice the average rate most companies would see for such an internal questionnaire, according to software firm SurveyGizmo.
“We take it very seriously,” said John Leary, who works out of Edward Jones’ Barrington office as a financial adviser, regional leader and principal. In the middle of every year, the organization surveys employees across the U.S. and Canada, 40,000 team members in all.
“Everyone participates,” Leary said. “Results of that really determine work that gets done for the following year. We act on those results.”
That is to say that the 60 Edward Jones employees in the Ocean State, along with their counterparts, feel valued enough to give feedback and confident it will be given fair consideration. They know they are heard, said Leary.
Where some changes are better made on the regional level, others are better implemented on a wider scale, said Leary. Though the Climate Survey is not new at Edward Jones, it is respected and valued by employees due to what it represents: their input. Not only do employees get to speak up about areas of potential improvement within Edward Jones – they are asked to suggest solutions as well, he said, boosting engagement even more.
“We ask folks for suggestions on how to fix it,” he said, “or how to improve scores where we see opportunity.”
Recognizing team members who deliver outstanding customer service is one example of an area where Leary said the firm has worked to improve its practices – a dual-focus goal that benefits both employees and customers.
Westerly-based financial adviser Frank Wallington is a perfect example of another way that Edward Jones makes its employees know they are valued and respected – by calling on them to make new hires feel the same way. Wallington has been active in helping the firm be a great place to work by exhibiting Edward Jones’ personal approach – with its one-adviser, branch-office business model – to those who are new to the team.
What better time than in the first few days in their new role?
When new advisers are hired, the company doesn’t rely on an outside organization to train new team members, or expect them to just complete training on their own. Employees volunteer to train new hires, “share the opportunity, as we put it,” said Leary, stepping up and taking the leadership role in their branch. It’s a training model with a strategy behind it.
“They are emotionally attached. You become their biggest fan, and a lot of times, a career-long mentor. Volunteering to train someone else is paying it forward,” said Leary. “It’s not required. But someone has done it for you, and we celebrate that.”
It becomes a source of pride for Edward Jones employees, he said.
Leary said that Wallington, one of the original financial advisers with Edward Jones in Rhode Island, has recruited and trained countless team members. “He’s the epitome of this kind of leadership.”
The Fortune 500 firm has put more focus on health and wellness of late, recognizing that aspect of valuing its employee assets. Through a Virgin Pulse-created program, employees can use online tools and apps to track their steps and benefit from health coaching. Employees can even invite an adviser in another branch in another state to participate in a fitness challenge.
Fun activities and events, such as holiday parties and a recent pottery class, keep colleagues relaxed and enjoying downtime together, said Leary.
The company has won accolades for being a best place to work for women, millennials and other categories by several organizations, including this year’s Fortune 2019 Best Companies to Work for List, ranking No. 7.
Employees in R.I.: 60
John Leary, financial adviser, regional leader and principal
