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Baton Rouge Businesses Share How They Became Great Places to Work
No CommentsEarlier this month, the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report announced its first annual ranking of Baton Rouge’s Best Places to Work, and we were thrilled to find HR Solutions clients Assurance Financial Group and Robinson Brothers Ford Lincoln at 19 and 20 on the list respectively! We were also proud to find our partner firm Arthur J Gallagher & Co. at No. 27!
When we contacted them to offer our congratulations, we also asked them how they became such great places to work and what other companies could do to follow in their footsteps. Here’s what they had to say.
Robinson Brothers Takes Care of Employees so They’ll Take Care of Customers
Happy employees take care of customers, says Chris Savage, general manager of Robinson Brothers Ford Lincoln, and the company helps make employees happy by hosting picnics, parties (“go big or go home kind of parties,” Savage says), crawfish boils, fishing trips and spa days. “The secret recipe is we have fun, we work as a team, and we don’t have a lot of brain damage here!”
In addition, Savage says the company is in its fourth year of participating in a process called the Consumer Experience Movement with Ford. “We have a life coach come in every month and we focus on how to truly communicate and engage, which is absolutely how we have developed so much synergy as an organization,” Savage says. “It teaches us that all employees are valuable, and to that end we survey them every year — everyone in the company has a voice, and we actively listen.”
A focus on promoting from within and rewarding initiative and team spirit help foster professional development, Savage says. Sales and service employees are trained and developed throughout their careers, and young technicians can go to school to learn their trade and have their tuition paid.
“You have to have the right people in the right jobs,” Savage says. “We hire for character and from the very first interview we stress that our culture is about hiring people with ‘Servant’s Hearts.’ Sometimes you have to reinvent yourself and hire new people and patiently train and nurture them. Lastly, focus on finding bright spots and reward the behavior you want repeated instead of walking around and trying to point out negatives!”
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Recognizes the Importance of Employee Benefits
Offering great service and creating a great work atmosphere go hand in hand, says Kim Breard, Arthur J Gallagher account manager. “When your place of work is pleasant your employees don’t look at their job as simply a way to make a living, but view their position as one they find enjoyable and look forward to daily.”
Employee benefits play a vital role in recruiting and retaining great employees, Breard says. “It is clear to those of us who work in the benefit design arena that an attractive benefit package can impact employee recruiting/retention efforts.”
Through its extensive benchmarking survey, Gallagher Benefits Services has found that job satisfaction jumps from 30 percent to 74 percent when employees are very satisfied with benefits. “Additionally, 76 percent were likely to recommend their workplace to others when a strong benefit package is in place as opposed to only 27 percent that would recommend their workplace to others when they are not satisfied with the benefits offered,” Breard explains.
“At Gallagher, our goal is to provide excellent service to our clients and that is what we have done successfully over the years. Having a great team in place is a large part of achieving our goal. Our tip would be to create a fun, rewarding atmosphere that your employees enjoy and that will in turn lead to a productive workforce.”
If you’d like to learn more about how a solid employee benefits package can help your company be a great place to work, contact us. We’re happy to answer your questions.
HR Solutions is a human resources outsourcing firm based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We eliminate human resources headaches for businesses with 10 to 1,000 employees by handling their payroll, employee benefits, regulatory compliance and other staffing needs. Contact us to learn how we can streamline your company’s human resources function to save money and reduce risk.
