Feedback

Editor’s Note: This question generated response also from:

GUIDO DE KONING

Senior Vice President Upgrade, Inc.

HENRI’ DAWES

Senior Director Freedom Financial Network

Please visit January’s Feedback entry on our website to learn these businesses’ strategies and experience.

FEEDBACK QUESTION:

Let us know what you want to know from the Valley’s top business leaders. editor@inbusinessphx.com

For all past Feedbacks go online to inbusinessphx.com and see what Valley executives think on various business topics. In retaining your employees, what have you found they value most about your company? Is this the same or different for attracting new employees?

JODI AMENDOLA

CEO and Co-Founder Amendola Communications Sector: Media

Employees tell me they enjoy working with innovative, smart health tech visionaries who have MDs, MBAs, PhDs. They find it stimulating to constantly learn about new health tech products and services and be part of a fast-paced agency that is working with so many mission-driven companies making a difference in healthcare. Our clients represent the best of the best in all areas of healthcare, health tech and life sciences, from startups to Fortune 500 organizations, including locally based Equality Health, e-Visit and Tesis Biosciences.

It’s a bit different for attracting new employees. Surprisingly, I have observed recruits really prefer working remotely. I, personally, would have predicted that most employees would want a hybrid option to experience the best of both worlds — allowing them to work from home three days a week and come into the office two days a week. We decided to accommodate our employees’ request and, after 18 years, we sold our Scottsdale office condo last month. This allows us to attract health tech PR and marketing talent from across the country.

Amendola Communications acmarketingpr.com Jodi Amendola is a healthcare/health tech PR, marketing and communications strategist and thought leader. A 30-year industry veteran, Jodi is CEO and co-founder of Amendola Communications, a Phoenix-based, national, award-winning public relations, social media, content marketing and marketing communications agency serving healthcare, health tech and life sciences organizations.

VICKI ETHERTON

President Landmark Title Assurance Agency Sector: Real Estate

At Landmark Title, we have been able to attract and retain a highly knowledgeable and dedicated staff. We are in hiring mode and recognize that, while salary, benefits and flexible work schedules are valued, it is intrinsic factors that help us attract and retain employees. I attribute it largely to creating a company culture that fosters and focuses on a team approach to work and having leaders who are accessible and responsive. In addition to supporting and serving clients, our top priority is supporting our departments and team members. We strive to cultivate an environment where everyone is considered a leader and their input is valued. Our managers take time to get to know our employees, recognize their goals, and try to empower them to succeed.

As a title and escrow firm, we compete for employees in an industry where collaboration and a team approach are not the norm. It’s a big reason people come to work here and stay.

Landmark Title Assurance Agency ltaz.com Vicki Etherton is an Arizona native and has more than 30 years of experience in the title and escrow industry. In 2013, Etherton was named president of Landmark Title. Under her direction, the company has grown from 14 to nearly 100 professionals with expertise in handling complex commercial and residential transactions.

VERONICA FRANCO

Assistant Vice President of Talent Management Desert Financial Credit Union Sector: Financial Services

Retaining employees, especially in today’s market, has been a challenge — one which we’ve made a top priority. We have found three things to be true when surveying our employees. Employees want to be respected, valued and recognized for their contributions. People, in general, want to be inspired by the work they do. Our culture at Desert Financial Credit Union starts with people helping people — it’s the core of the credit union movement. Our mission, vision and values are all about giving. We believe in giving back to our community, our members and our employees — and we provide opportunities for employees to give back in many ways. We’ve built programs such as Random Acts of Kindness where employees can give back to individuals in our community. We also provide paid time for employees to participate in charitable activities for causes they believe in. We trust that a company’s purpose, if aligned with a person’s values, will sustain employees through the ups and downs; and we find that sharing stories of triumph and success are especially important when attracting new talent into the organization.

Desert Financial Credit Union desertfinanical.com Veronica Franco has more than 20 years of Human Resource experience and is the assistant vice president of Talent Management for Desert Financial Credit Union. Desert Financial is the state’s most trusted local credit union with more than $8 billion in assets, more than 380,000 members and 46 branches. Membership eligibility is open across most of Arizona with contactless solutions via eBranch.