For the fourth time in as many years, Middlebury’s Co-operative Insurance Companies has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Vermont.
Co-op was one of about two dozen small businesses on the overall 2020 roster of 51 companies. The ranking results from a statewide survey conducted by Vermont Business Magazine, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the state’s Department of Labor, the Vermont Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, and Best Companies Group. The selection process includes review of company practices and policies, but depends largely on employee feedback.
“Co-op employees share a focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience. We recognize that to sustain that level of service and hard work, employees need opportunities to nurture themselves and to have their voices heard,” said Gina Larrow, the company’s VP of HR. “We have teams who work to create opportunities around wellness, fun, and getting employee ideas implemented. The feedback we receive from the Best Places survey affirms that our employees both value and appreciate those opportunities.”
The company’s management recognizes that providing a desirable workplace is one of the keys to being able to serve its members well. While earning a spot on a list of great places to work means a lot, it’s the survey results from the process that are most valuable to Co-op, as that feedback helps in sustaining that exceptional work environment.
“When I was interviewing with Co-op in 2018, some of the most valuable insights came from the 2017 employee survey,” said Lee Dowgiewicz, the company’s incoming president and CEO. “As an officer of a corporation with tens of thousands of employees, I was very familiar with the traditional themes typically seen in this type of survey. However, Co-op employees’ answers immediately put me at ease that this was exactly the “family first” environment I wanted to be a part of. The overwhelming support and confidence the staff described confirmed that this company truly cares about its employees and its core values of integrity, respect, accountability and stewardship.”
The competition, which is in its fourteenth year, is open to business, non-profits, or government entities that have been operating a year or more and that have a facility and at least 15 employees in Vermont. While all 51 winners have been named, the final rankings will be announced at an awards presentation in June.
