At PPR we strive to live our core values in everything we do here, including fulfilling our mission of building wealth and prosperity for our investors. “Engagement” just so happens to be one of these core values, and I thought what better way to expand on that then discussing our most recent Best Places to Work survey results.
Earlier this summer, PPR Capital Management was among just 84 companies nominated as a finalist in the Philadelphia Business Journal’s, Best Places to Work. Partnering with Quantum Workplace, the organization sends an anonymous survey to the region’s top workplaces, independently measuring each company’s culture and taking into consideration compensation, benefits, and trust in senior leadership.
2024 marks our second year in a row of placing on the list and regardless of results, from my seat in HR I appreciate that it allows us to see our strengths and opportunities for improvement – with a space for direct feedback. Although we didn’t place in the top 3, which received on stage recognition at the annual Best Places to Work (disco themed!) awards ceremony at the end of July, we are happy to relay some of the positive survey results with you.
First and foremost, 88% of our survey participants reported as highly engaged. This may be the most important metric since engaged employees report a sense of higher wellbeing, they have better retention rates on average, lower absenteeism, and of course, higher productivity. And not only is that remarkable for our industry and members of other firms committing to best practices, a recent Gallup survey from the second half of last year reported that only 33% of U.S. employees reported they felt were engaged with their work. And that those who were unengaged or actively disengaged cost about $1.9 trillion in lost productivity nationally.
I’m also proud to report that we received a 100% favorable score on the prompt, “I recommend this organization as a great place to work.” This shows us we not only have an engaged workforce, but as a small company it illustrates that staff are performing at a higher level, collaborating effectively, and are loyal to and invested in the company’s success.
We also learned from the survey that our team members appreciated the opportunities to learn new skills, felt accepted by their immediate coworkers, and perhaps most importantly answered positively to the prompt of “when my organization makes changes I understand why.” This last piece is so important for a nimble organization like PPR who has shifted into a relatively new brand name and company as a capital manager (rather than operator or asset manager). More anecdotally, I also heard from many employees that this type of anonymous survey allows people to feel like they’re being heard. We plan on continuing that trend by hosting a smaller focus group where employees will have a say in ways to improve the company and feel like they have a voice.
So all in all, we are proud of this independent recognition as it reflects the entire team’s efforts in the growth of our firm and the quality of our culture which highlights collaboration with each other, our clients, and trusted partners. This in turn only helps us in providing financial wellness to our investors and making a positive social impact on the communities in which we live, work, and invest.
