Recruitment & Retention: Topeka employers offer an array of benefits big and small to recruit and retain talent

BARTLETT & WEST The building expansion project, finished in April 2016, includes an outside deck, meeting rooms with large windows to maximize tree-line views, enclaves with varied furnishings and a large ideation room conducive for brainstorming.

A self-serve café featuring fresh selections, a spacious seating area and even two popcorn machines create a welcoming ambiance at the entrance. A new wellness center has treadmills, cardio equipment, lockers, shower facilities and a ping pong table for less strenuous stress-relief.

With 360 employees from Washington to Washington, D.C., Warta says, the company realized it could expand the pool of candidates for positions if they were not confined by geography.

“Employees can work at home or in the office or on the deck or meet the school bus at 3:30 p.m. It’s liberating,” Warta said.

New hires become owners after completing a single hour of service, at which point a six-year vesting schedule begins.

bartlett deck

“Being employee-owned differentiates us because every employee approaches a situation from an owner’s perspective,” Warta said.

Each June summer interns are steeped in the company’s can-do culture, demonstrated in part through participation in the Topeka Community Foundation’s annual Topeka Gives event. Interns are given an amount of money to allocate to participating agencies and then make a presentation to share their distribution rationale.

“A fundamental aspect of our company is community service,” Warta said. “The quickest way to show interns what we’re passionate about is to immerse them in a meaningful activity like Topeka Gives. It also shows them that if they come here, they can stand out and make a difference with other young professionals in ways they may not be able to in other markets.”

ADVISORS EXCEL Advisors Excel strives to create an innovative workplace culture that exposes employees to an array of professional and personal development opportunities to enhance their skills, their perceptions about the jobs they perform and their participation to the community through volunteerism.

Word of mouth, employee referrals and numerous engagement programs have helped the company establish a reputation as a fun, caring place to work, says Matt Beier, director of employee initiatives.

“Everything we do, from an annual stretch goal incentive trip and quarterly bonuses to interoffice competitions and family events, is designed to make sure our employees like coming through our doors each day,” Beier said.

The extensive involvement of the founders in all aspects of the operation, including recruitment, underscores their unified commitment to employee well-being. The interviewing process requires applicants to submit a letter describing why they want to work for the company and culminates in a face-to-face conversation with a founder before an offer is extended.

updated basketball picture

“The letter follows the individual throughout the interview process and shows us how the individual could be a good fit for us and also how our company could be a good fit for the applicant,” Recruiting Specialist Lisa Schmidtlein said.

The company has grown from 240 employees to 495 employees in just three years because of several factors, including expanded divisions to address the wealth management market, radio and television promotion, and the acquisition of Go Modern, a printing company. The company has the Great Place to Work® Certification and surveys employees each year to ensure that senior management assumptions about work satisfaction are accurate.

“According to our survey, 97 percent of Advisors Excel employees say it’s a great workplace,” Beier said. “We have high expectations of our employees while they are in the office because if we don’t have satisfied advisors, we don’t have jobs. After working hours though, we really want them to experience work/life balance.”

The company offers a subsidized health care plan and a 401(k) plan with employee matches. Advisors Excel also offers contests incorporating aspects of the Olympics and the Amazing Race, lunchtime tailgates and food trucks, sports tournaments, fitness boot camps, a gym, a subsidized cafe and family celebrations to cultivate camaraderie.

Each week different groups of employees don their AE community service T-shirts to work at Harvesters, Let’s Help, Topeka 501 Public Schools, Catholic Charities and other organizations. All employees are given three hours to volunteer each quarter.

Leadership development programs and well-known motivational speakers, including Dayton Moore, Royals general manager, and renowned life and business strategist Tony Robbins, encourage employees to fulfill their potential.

FHLBANK TOPEKA One of FHLBank Topeka’s goals is to be the employer of choice in Topeka, and a new building designed with LEED Gold accreditation in mind will make an exceptional first impression when it’s completed in January. Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Wanamaker corridor, the spacious four-story space is designed so that all employees will work in natural light. The environmentally conscious building will have geothermal heating and cooling and incorporate natural elements in the aesthetics and artwork.

FHLbank

More than 100 employees provided input, resulting in collaborative spaces, sit/stand desks for everyone, an outdoor seating area, a canopied walkway from the parking lot and a fitness center with weight machines and mobile ping pong and foosball tables that can be relocated for exercise classes.

Julie DeVader, first vice president of marketing and communications and a member of the building committee, says employee involvement has been instrumental in creating a facility that will enhance not only productivity but also engagement, including work areas with high tables and stools and lower swivel chairs to accommodate employee preferences.

The bank’s extensive recruitment and retention initiatives already in place include committees dedicated to community affairs, diversity and inclusion and other outreach efforts. Each year the Community Affairs Committee partners with a housing-related nonprofit organization to provide volunteer assistance. The IDEA Council (Inclusion, Diversity, Equality and Awareness) sponsors monthly activities, which have encompassed luncheon speakers with prominent area professionals, free tickets to “Hidden Figures,” a book discussion on “Waking up White” facilitated by President and CEO Mark Yardley and an open forum on the rioting in Charlottesville following removal of Confederate statutes.

In addition to a 401(k) plan, tuition reimbursement and a generous time-off policy, the bank has also implemented a student loan reimbursement program.

“Student debt can hinder individuals and influence their decision making,” said Amanda Kiefer, first vice president and human resources and inclusion director. “When younger employees come here and we talk to them about retirement, that benefit is so far away for them. What’s of immediate interest to them is that if they come to us with a student loan, we’ll help them pay it off. We’ve found this to be a very important benefit in responding to the needs of our younger employees.”

PREMIER EMPLOYMENT SOLUTIONS AND KEY STAFFING Dropping off an infant with a childcare provider at the conclusion of a maternity/paternity leave can be stressful. However, employees at Premier Employment Solutions and Key Staffing can postpone that eventuality while enjoying prolonged bonding time with their baby and saving on child care expenses.

Premier Employment baby

Jamie Stafford, risk manager, says the infants-at-work benefit for babies up to four months old not only provides peace of mind for new parents but also enhances productivity for an employer.

“It’s awesome to have that extra time with your baby while you’re at work. Plus, your mind’s clear when you’re here. You’re not wondering about what’s going on at daycare or worried about a call to say your baby is sick,” said Stafford, who used the benefit for her two children, now ages 4 and 3.

With some infant provider waiting lists topping a year or more, the extended time a parent can bring a baby to work can shorten the gap.

“Our large cubicles can easily accommodate a Pack ‘n Play and a bouncy chair, and each new parent has an assigned peer to assist if the baby becomes fussy during a phone call or has to be cared for while the parent is in a meeting,” Stafford said.

With a staff that averages 20 employees, about 15 individuals have taken advantage of the program since its introduction in 1989. A private room is available for mothers to use to tend to their infants too.

“Clients love it,” Stafford said. “Any guests who are here and see a baby are interested in learning that we offer the benefit to give parents more time to bond with their child. We are a small family-owned business and an infant-at-work program is one of the ways we can treat our team as part of the family.”

SECURITY BENEFIT Twenty-five years ago, Security Benefit became the first for-profit company in Topeka to open a subsidized on-site child care center, and the investment continues to be a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining employees.

Security Benefit playground

“All of the great benefit options we offer provide value to both the firm and our associates. Our child care center is just one key example. If parents are happy and confident about their child’s care and appreciate the accessibility, then we can help them be more productive at work,” said Anne Trebino, senior vice president of human resources.

Another employee benefit is a more relaxed dress code. Employees can wear jeans daily while maintaining an appropriate business casual look. Security Benefit is also committed to health and wellness, providing a free gym membership to all employees and a subsidized café with healthy selections. Improving employee health and reducing stress are goals that complement the company’s interests as a self-insured entity.

“We strive to provide benefits that enhance the well-being of employees while also helping our bottom line,” Trebino said.

Boosting the bottom line pays off in other ways for employees through a 5 percent supplemental match on 401(k) contributions and a discretionary profit sharing allocation for eligible employees each year based on company performance.

“Our corporate mission is to help people across the country move to and through retirement,” Trebino said. “Our management team has always felt strongly about offering competitive funding levels for retirement programs for our employees.”

Employees also serve on various committees that facilitate community volunteerism and diversity initiatives. A Charitable Trust established in 1976 targets contributions to organizations locally and nationally with input from an employee committee. A matching gifts program enables employees to increase the impact of donations made to educational entities and another innovative program, Dollars for Hours, provides employees the opportunity to make a monetary contribution to a specific nonprofit organization in recognition of volunteer hours served.

Security Benefit invests heavily in the Topeka community and supports a variety of efforts to improve economic vitality and quality of life, particularly with regard to business attraction and young professionals.

“Topeka has always been a wonderful place to raise a family,” Trebino said. “Now we’re focusing on encouraging people in their 20s to stay or come here, while also working toward welcoming more companies to the community.”

TK