Investing In Our Teams

The backbone of any company, across every industry and market, is always the same. It’s the people. What’s also true is that all employees, across all business titles and job descriptions, are essentially brand ambassadors for the organization. I’ll even go so far as to say that employees are a tangible reflection of the company’s values. So, why not ensure that every employee is rewarded when it comes to the success and growth of the organization?

Most businesses understand the importance of reinvesting into the company, whether it’s in the infrastructure, technology, or training and development. At Neighborly, we do all these things, but we’ve taken our investment in our people a step further.

We’re investing in our associates, too.

Greater than the Sum of the Parts

In collaboration with our private equity partner KKR, we set out to help quantify the impact an employee has or can have on the organization. Our efforts culminated in the launch of an exciting, game-changing opportunity for every associate at the company: The Neighborly Associate Equity Program (AEP).

The AEP invites each associate to hold a stake in the organization. This “skin in the game” gives every individual the incentive to grow alongside the organization, taking pride in the progress and performance of the business – and then receiving some of the reward.

Focus on Engagement and Growth Will Follow

Gallup’s’?State of the Global Workplace: 2021 Report?found that just one in three U.S. employees are engaged at work, and that number drops to one in five for employees in Canada. What this data is really saying is that 66% of employees are waiting to punch out every day.

That just doesn’t sit right with us.

Of course, we want our employees to be engaged because they care about the company and take pride in their work. But we also want them to know that when they advocate for the organization’s success, they’re advocating for their own, too. We believe taking steps like providing our associates with the opportunity to participate in the increased equity value of the company is one way to ensure they have a reason to stay engaged – and feel motivated to reach for success.

As my Neighborly colleague,?Courtney Kolar, Senior Vice President, Neighborly People Services, says, “This program not only has the potential to help our associates financially, but it also helps them feel validated in the work they do for our brands. Each associate across Neighborly plays a part in our success and it's time we recognize that.”?

I’m so proud to be a part of an organization that gives entrepreneurs and small business owners the chance to grow their ambitions and realize their dreams. And I’m equally proud that through the AEP, we’re now able to do the same for our associates.