Recently, I was on a plane returning from a business trip. Sitting next to me was a new college graduate looking to start his career. We had an interesting conversation about what he and his friends are looking for in an employer. After talking with him for a few minutes, I realized that his thoughts on his career went far past just his paycheck. He was also interested in finding a company that he considered to be socially and ethically responsible, would provide a work-life balance and a place where he could learn and grow, all while feeling a sense of community.
These aren’t any different than finding a workplace where you may want to spend the rest of your career. When I applied to my first position, I might not have been thinking about these things, but I definitely am now. All employees are looking for a place they can feel good about – somewhere they can make a difference.
One of the important things that Stewart’s human resources department keeps at the forefront is a focus on finding new ways to enhance the employee experience, and ultimately our customer experience. After all, if our employees are satisfied, that carries over into their interactions with our customers.
I want to share with you a few ways that Stewart looks to make work life richer for our associates. This year, we have spent a lot of time looking at what makes a happy, healthy, productive employee and what we can do as a company to enhance that experience. We are launching new programs as well as expanding and dusting off some current programs to better their work life.
One such program is the ongoing development of Stewart University. We currently have 400 online classes targeted towards professional development, and are working hard to continue to expand this library, as well as build other learning experiences. Stewart University has also been extended to our network of independent agencies, who consider this access to a range of learning opportunities an important asset in their relationship with Stewart.
We are also excited to provide our employees with a wellness program that will encourage healthy living through a variety of different channels. This new program, rolling out in the fall, will not only focus on our employees and their family’s health, but will also be a way to have fun with internal team competitions, rewards for exercising, and working together as an entire Stewart team to develop healthy habits.
In addition, there are numerous ways our employees can give back to their local community, as well as supporting broader charitable activities such as walks for breast cancer, helping wounded veterans with home ownership, and programs that serve youth. Participating in these programs gives our employees a chance to connect with other employees that they might not in their day-to-day work, building relationships with other groups while serving others, networking with leadership in a low-pressure way and learning new skills. These programs are all aimed at helping our employees to develop both in and out of their professional role with Stewart.
It doesn’t matter if you are like my new friend from the airplane, or have been contributing in the work world for many years; it’s important to feel good about the job that you do and the place that you work. I would like to leave you with the advice that my parents gave me – You get out of life what you put in. It is up to you to make this a rewarding experience, and Stewart can provide job seekers with those opportunities!