EFG Companies employees ranked the company as one of the most innovative, engaged employers among business service companies in north Texas. Based on annual employee survey results administered by Energage, the company that powers the nation’s premier employer recognition program Top Workplaces, EFG Companies ranks as a national standard once again for culture and career opportunities, while the executive team scored among the highest in the industry. Over the last seven survey years, EFG has been recognized as a National Standard Top Employer four times, and as a Top 100 Workplace within the DFW area once.
EFG Companies employees ranked it as one of the most innovative, engaged employers among business service companies in N. Texas, based on annual survey results from Energage, reflecting strong company vision and commitment to delivering value for clients.
In 2023, the company experienced its highest response rate yet with 96.1 percent of team members participating in the survey, giving EFG an 82 percent engagement rate. At 82 percent, EFG’s 2023 engagement rate is 156 percent higher than the national average. According to Gallup, Inc., the percentage of engaged employees in the U.S. was 32 percent in 2022. EFG’s engagement rate is also 12 percent higher than the average engagement among Gallup’s best practice clients.
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“Our team comes to work every day ready to meet the challenge of living up to our values of dependability, respect, integrity, visionary and excellence,” said John Pappanastos, CEO and President of EFG Companies. “By fostering a respectful, connected, and inclusive environment rooted in teamwork, we will continue to mobilize a talented team to engage intensely, reliably, transparently, and innovatively to drive profitable results for our clients.”
Survey results reflect company values
EFG partners with Energage annually to evaluate the company’s progress on employee engagement initiatives. Survey results help company leaders determine go-forward priorities designed to positively impact team member experience, and in turn deliver greater value to clients.
Survey results reflect that overall EFG team members feel well informed about important decisions. They are given the space to learn and grow. New ideas are encouraged, and they feel connected to EFG’s strong values. When describing EFG, team members used the words:
- Integrity
- Respect
- Inclusive
- Caring
- Teamwork
“With results like these, it’s clear to see why our median tenure is 5.57 years,” said Sue Jewell, the Director of Human Resources at EFG Companies. “At EFG, we show strong tenures across all age groups. We understand the value of creating a place where people want to work, and we endeavor to ensure that all employees feel heard and respected.”
The private sector has seen average tenures steadily decrease as the generational make-up of employees has changed. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median tenure for workers ages 25 and up is approximately 4.3 years for men and 3.8 years for women as of January 2022.
Work-Life balance scores high
In terms of work-life balance, the third edition of the McKinsey American Opportunity Survey reported that as of spring 2022, 58 percent of Americans reported having the opportunity to work from home at least one day per week. Only 35 percent reported having the option to work from home five days a week. These statistics show a dramatic increase in companies returning to office environments regardless of employee wants or needs.
EFG took a strategic approach toward a flexible work environment, evaluating team members’ effectiveness, productivity and engagement while working from home over the last three years. As a result, EFG offers a more flexible work environment, with approximately 24 percent of employees working remotely 100 percent of the time. The remaining 76 percent work remotely more than 80 percent of the time. Aside from work-life benefits for individual team members, this structure gives EFG the flexibility to employ people across the country.
“One thing about EFG is that the ability to quickly evolve is in our DNA,” said Jennifer Rappaport, Chief Operating Officer of EFG Companies. “While the pandemic forced companies to take their workforces remote, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and closely measured collaboration, culture, productivity, and employee development. Because of our talented team managers, we found that quality assurance and productivity stayed strong, while employee satisfaction went up. We have permanently adopted a hybrid remote working model, which is not only positive for our existing team members, but it also puts us at a competitive advantage for recruiting high quality talent as we grow.”
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A culture of giving back
The 2023 Employee Engagement survey also reflects the company’s continued strengths in community engagement and leadership. Employees have embraced company initiatives centered around career advancement, work-life balance, and philanthropy. In fact, the entire EFG team logged over 750 community volunteer hours during the past year, with most of those hours logged with the North Texas Food Bank. The company plans to return to the popular organization later this year.
“Creating more opportunities for community engagement has been a priority for me since I joined EFG,” said Ellen McGee, Senior Manager of Corporate Culture and External Communications. “Over the years, we have supported different causes, like Toys for Tots. The feedback after each initiative is that team members want to volunteer more. That’s why we put such a heavy emphasis on community engagement by creating a formal community service effort. Each spring, we now conduct a donation or monetary drive for a different charitable organization. Each fall, we give our time to the local community.”
Earlier this year, EFG conducted a tornado relief donation drive to support a Mississippi community hit by a devastating tornado. The 150-person company collected critical items needed by displaced residents, enabling the hard-working Americans to focus on rebuilding their community.
“I grew up in that part of the U.S. and still have family in the area,” said Dann Young, Senior Claims Manager at EFG Companies. “I can personally attest to what it means to be hit by a natural disaster, and how important community outreach and aid is to families who’ve experienced significant loss. You cannot underestimate the difference it makes, and I’m very proud of EFG surpassing its donation goals for this effort.”
EFG operates from the standpoint that providing a great place to work leads to excellent execution, market differentiation, and ultimately financial success. Initiatives like EFG’s corporate volunteerism and yearly engagement reviews demonstrate the company’s dedication to the mantra from its founder, Robert W. Moore. “Take care of your people. They will take care of your customers, and your customers will take care of success.”
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