Office Openers

Two companies in Atlantic Canada challenge their employees to take ownership of their workplace You can’t help but smile when you walk into Admiral Insurance’s office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Housed in the former Hudson’s Bay department store, it’s is a wide open space the size of a football field with coloured balloons, huge posters with photos of staff having a great time, team lists, and goals. It looks like they are preparing for a party, but this is a regular day at Admiral. People are dressed casually but it isn’t casual Friday, it’s a Wednesday morning. Vice-President Alex MacDonald says people can wear what they like because all the business is conducted by phone with customers in the United Kingdom. Admiral Insurance is a U.K. company with its head office in Cardiff, Wales, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in France, Italy, Spain and the United States. They have 11% of the U.K. automobile insurance market with approximately 3.3 million customers and approximately £1.3 billion in revenue. So there’s more than fun going on at the Halifax office, which handles renewals and sales. “People who really like what they do, do it better,” says MacDonald. It’s the philosophy of Admiral CEO and Founder Henry Engelhardt, and one that has been whole-heartedly adopted here. Engelhardt visits once a year and meets with all new employees to explain his vision. He also gives each one a puzzle piece to signify that each employee is equal and can contribute equally to the whole. “There is an element of servant leadership here,” says MacDonald. He describes the management pyramid as upside down, with him on the bottom supporting or serving the employees. The staff is 470 people, including 12 support positions. Management has broken the numbers down to teams of ten to 12 people, so that everyone feels connected. A couple of teams each month become the “Ministry of Fun” and come up with creative ways for employees to play. By way of explanation MacDonald says, “It’s car insurance. It is not the most exciting job in the world. And you are working in customer service, which can be a challenging job.” In short, employees need to have a little fun. Listening to staff is a very important part of Admiral’s corporate culture says Dee McLean, Communications and Marketing Manager, and that’s behind the informal office setting. If an employee wants to speak to MacDonald, they stop him as he walks past on his way to the lunchroom. The vice-president has a desk like everyone else —and no walls. MacDonald says in a past position in a similar business, he had an office and an outer office with an assistant. “You can imagine how intimidating that can be for an employee who wants to speak to the boss.” Macdonald holds monthly “Coffee with Alex” gatherings with different groups of employees to talk about whatever is on their mind. McLean does a similar “Meet the Manager” three times a month. McLean says the reason Admiral has an office in Halifax is because the people in the U.K. listened to their staff who wanted to be home with their families in the evenings. With the time difference between the U.K. and Canada, Halifax staff can work the daytime hours that would have meant late nights for U.K. staff. Employees had a say in the design of the office, which included adding more windows for natural light. A large lunchroom and free fresh fruit every day are among the everyday touches. Some staff are advocating for a daycare and a gym in addition to the numerous existing perks. Admiral starts each employee with three weeks’ paid holidays each year, plus an extra day per year of service. Employees get nine flex-time days. Health benefits start from the first day. They also offer maternity/parental top-up, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), mandatory pension plan after one year’s service, with the company matching the employee contribution up to 5% of the employee’s salary. Each employee is also an owner. Each year, depending on the company’s performance, approximately $4,800 worth of shares are given to each employee. They receive dividends on those shares, but must wait for three years of service before they can cash them in. In the nexus between compensation, benefits and culture, it is the latter that is viewed as most important, “Our corporate culture is indispensable,” says MafcDonald. In 2012, Admiral ranked fourth in the Deloitte’s Best Workplaces in Canada list (large and multinationals); ranked third in 2011 in the Best Workplaces in Canada for Women (Great Place to Work Institute of Canada); was named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers; and one of Nova Scotia’s Top Employers. Top performance culture presents itself differently in every company. AML Communications Inc., sells smart phones, regular cell phones, tablets, and rocket sticks for mobile Internet service. In addition, business customers may also buy a range of solutions for wireless voice and data needs including GPS tracking devices to monitor assets, such as trucks or heavy equipment, even down to monitoring whether the equipment is in use or sitting idle. Ultimately AML is a mix of retailer and service provider that specializes in building in-depth customer relationships through its front-line employees in a retail setting. AML meets the challenge of instilling a top performance culture in the ever-shifting sands of retail with aplomb. Knowing you are part of a rapidly growing industry makes for an exciting workplace. Floyd Gaetz, Founder and CEO of AML, started the company 20 years ago with one location in Truro, Nova Scotia. Today, AML employs 220 people and has 33 stores in four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and south western Ontario. The company has an impressive trajectory; it is one of Progress magazine’s Top 101 Companies as well as one of their Fastest Growing Companies for 2012. The people who work at AML aren’t fazed by the pace of growth. The dynamic work environment is a healthy one, with direct access to the boss, individual empowerment supported by solid training and trust-based team relationships. The company practises its approach to business through its mantra, “Have Fun. Accomplish More. Satisfy more customers,” says Michelle Amiro, Vice-President Atlantic. PLAYTIME: Shane Crawford, Director of Corporate Sales/District Sales Manager, AML, finds joy in the challenge of constantly learning new products. Shane Crawford, Director of Corporate Sales/District Sales Manager, who has been with AML for 15 years says, “The biggest reason I have been working here so long is the company itself. You can go into Floyd’s office and talk with him about anything. AML is still run like the little company I started working for when we had two stores.” Crawford, who admits he lives and breathes devices, says the fun comes in the work itself with the range of new devices coming out. The constant product changes require constant training, which AML provides. The multi-platform approach to training includes coaching from AML senior staff, the Five-Step Process training and Rogers online training. Employee compensation is also linked to performance so there is an incentive to accomplish more. AML empowers staff to make decisions rather than refer questions to a manager. It is a strategy that relies on the trust AML has in its team to meet the needs of customers. Crawford says people can become frustrated if they come in with a problem and are passed from one person to the next. AML has a “One Touch” policy, which means the person the customer speaks to about a problem is the person who finds the solution. That employee may have to ask other people to get the answer, but he or she is the customer’s only contact. Simplifying the process satisfies customers and sees them return to that person when they are in the market for a new device. Empowerment builds employee confidence and develops a sense of accomplishment. Employees are coached in decision-making skills and are trusted to make the best decisions for the customer and the company. “We tell our managers to run the store as if it were their own store with their money invested in it,” says Crawford. He says you’d have a hard time identifying the manager of the store, because he or she is on the floor like other sales reps, talking to customers, selling and offering solutions. Crawford says an important lesson for other companies is to have a defined process for sales. AML provides the same sales process in each of its stores, which provides consistency for both customers and staff. The other lesson is to really listen to what your customer needs. He says the challenge in this industry is keeping up to and ahead of the rapid changes in technology. AML attracts a lot of younger employees, either right out of high school or attending university. Many employees work their way through university at AML and return to make it a career. “There are many opportunities here,” says Crawford. He can trace his own career path with ease, “I went from an IT technician, to sales rep, to store manager, to marketing manager, to district sales manager, to corporate sales/district manager.” “Most of our new employees are referred by our current employees,” says Amiro. AML offers staff a $500 referral bonus if the company hires a person referred by an employee. Some AML perks include competitive salaries, health benefits, an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), your birthday off, smoking cessation and fitness incentives, and one day per year off to volunteer with a charity of your choice. AML’s tradition of believing in the people they have hired is the ultimate foundation for a top performance culture. “Good people know more good people,” Amiro says. AML was chosen by Deloitte as one of Canada’s Best Workplaces in Canada in 2011, a designation based in large part on a survey of employees. Top Performance Traits Accessibility. The leadership team is intentionally available to all employees. Interactions are positive and authentic for management and employees.Trust. Employees have the tools and autonomy to do their jobs well. This includes accurate and unstinting support that reflects the needs of the employee and their role within the organization.Recognition. Benefits and compensation are just part of the package that demonstrates how a company values their employees. Respect, validation and embracing work/life balance are important too.

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Two companies in Atlantic Canada challenge their employees to take ownership of their workplace

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