WORKING WONDERS

Two local businesses earned spots on a list of the nation's 50 best small to midsize employers, and their inclusion on the roster holds lessons for other companies angling to boost employee morale in tough economic times.

The Society for Human Resource Management's Best Small and Medium Companies to Work for in America includes Las Vegas heavyweights in advertising and finance. Ad agency R&R Partners ranked No. 24 among small employers with 50 to 250 workers, and Nevada Federal Credit Union came in at No. 21 among medium-size companies with 251 to 999 employees.

To develop the rankings, the society evaluated 321 businesses in credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. Two-thirds of each entrant's score came from the results of a 57-question employee survey assessing trust between workers and businesses.

"Top U.S. companies succeed by using smart people-management strategies to develop highly productive and satisfied work forces," said Susan Meisinger, president and chief executive officer of the Society for Human Resource Management. "Particularly in times of economic instability, knowing how to best manage your employees is an essential part of keeping productivity high and your organization open for business."

They're in wildly varying fields, but Nevada Federal and R&R share commonalities that landed them on the society's roster of great places to work:

• Communication. Sure, everyone knows it's important to keep employees up to date on company happenings, but few companies actually work hard at bringing staffers into the loop. That's probably because sustaining information flow takes planning and discipline, said Nevada Federal President and Chief Executive Officer Brad Beal and many executives already face huge demands for their time just keeping business humming.

But companies must communicate with employees to thrive, so the Society for Human Resource Management weighs how well businesses reach out to workers.

At Nevada Federal, executives make sure all employees understand the company's goals and how they can help push those objectives, Beal said. Beal holds a series of breakfast meetings throughout the year that will put him in touch with all 300 employees. He also conducts online chat sessions with staffers spread out at other locations, and he posts messages discussing the company's performance every two months or so. Department heads and supervisors hold routine meetings to analyze whether they're achieving goals.

R&R Partners maintains a "town center" area, where employees gather for monthly sessions company officials call "big, hairy, audacious goals meetings." Managers fill staff members in on what accounts they've pitched, showcase new creative materials and announce new employees. The agency's offices in Reno, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Utah and Washington, D.C., all participate via videoconferencing.

Interplay among employees keeps Jeremy Thompson, R&R's assistant media director, engaged.

Thompson's previous company, one of the world's larger agencies, regimented disciplines so that associates in separate departments rarely contacted each other while developing marketing campaigns. It's different at R&R: Public relations teams, digital-media units and account reps check in with each other and integrate efforts.

"There's a holistic approach to every project that goes through our doors," Thompson said. "That's huge. It's how we turn out such good work. A media plan doesn't get put together in a void, without creative input from everyone."

• Employee recognition. Both companies have monthly meetings to honor consistently hard workers. Nevada Federal also holds an all-hands meeting once a year, when it calls attention to the company's top performer for the year. R&R anoints an employee of the month, an employee of the year and a "star award" for staffers who "go above and beyond," said Fran Barr, the agency's corporate director of human resources.

The accolades reinforce company values and boost employee morale.

"We take great pride in the incredible environment we've been able to create over time, and we want to continue to foster that environment," Barr said.

• Employee involvement. The two businesses give staff members a say in shaping corporate policies, programs and missions.

R&R's workers complete employee surveys each November to help executives assess company performance in the last year and suggest initiatives in the next. Survey results four years ago, for example, told R&R managers that they needed to write a vision plan to guide employees.

Nevada Federal forms problem-solving committees and task forces consisting of entry-level workers and executives alike.

"People like a sense of involvement," Beal said. "They want a sense of being involved in something as opposed to just being on the job. The best people to address issues, problems and opportunities are the folks who actually do the work hands-on. They can help us design processes and solutions."

• Benefits. Providing comprehensive benefits packages helps both businesses recruit and retain sterling talent.

R&R pays 100 percent of the cost of all benefits for its workers and their dependents. No benefit expenses come out of workers' paychecks -- especially important today, when workers struggle with higher prices for food, fuel and heath care, Barr said.

And Beal said Nevada Federal constantly tweaks its benefits package, supplementing programs when economic conditions mean workers need extra aid.

• Training. Each business reported investing heavily in training and skills upgrades. At R&R, that means both internal education and sponsoring employee attendance at outside seminars and classes. The agency even maintains its own educational arm called R&R University.

• Compassion. Concern for the well-being of employees and the community underlie much of what both companies emphasize. Managers at each operation exhort workers to volunteer their time to local charities. Plus, R&R donated nearly $2 million in money and time to groups including Catholic Charities, Opportunity Village and the Andre Agassi Grand Slam fund-raising event.

The largesse extends to employees as well: When one worker battling cancer received 60 percent of her pay through disability coverage, her colleagues banded together to offer a portion of their pay to make up the 40 percent difference.

• Fun. Executives from each company emphasized offering time for play on the job.

Nevada Federal built an on-site park for company picnics, cookouts and other events.

"We encourage a good laugh," Beal said. "We just think having fun is a big part of the work environment."

R&R officials "make up any reason to have a party," Barr said. At Halloween, the agency shuts down and enjoys an afternoon of skits. There are also chili cookoffs, tailgate parties and festivities surrounding St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo and even Groundhog Day.

It's easy to see the need for intensive employee relations when the economy is soaring, with recruits tough to find and competition for top employees coming from every side. But both companies insist employee relations merit high priority even when unemployment rises and talented workers abound.

That's because few factors hurt employee morale the way insecurity does.

Concerns about job instability preoccupy employees with worries about whether they can take care of their families, and that in turn reduces focus on the job.

"We're always looking for new and better ways to help our employees, because when they're happy, they put out great work," Barr said.

Despite kudos from the Society for Human Resource Management, both Beal and Barr say their companies plan more employee-relations enhancements.

Beal wants to make occasional on-site visits from health care providers more routine, offering workers chances to check key vital stats such as blood pressure and cholesterol without leaving the office. He also plans to bolster community service, making it easier for workers to participate in philanthropic groups.

R&R is considering implementing flexible-working arrangements, including compressed work weeks, job sharing and part-time work, Barr said.

"About the only thing we don't have is pet insurance," she said.

Unless, of course, employees request it in their November survey.

Contact reporter Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4512.