Top workplaces, small: 4. Southern Fidelity Mortgage

A personable work environment in a boutique office setting has landed Southern Fidelity Mortgage within the top workplaces in Las Vegas.

The mortgage company ranked No. 4 among companies with less than 150 employees.

Southern Fidelity matches 401(k) plans at the 6 percent level, up from 4 percent and at a time when a lot of firms are no longer offering a match. The company is launching a profit-sharing program this year.

Owner Rowe Nelson says it’s great to provide the benefits the company does and even increase them, but that’s not what makes a firm a great place to work.

“It’s not just about a 401(k) or health care benefits, but also about the people you surround yourself with,” Nelson says. “You have to have the right people who help and care for one another. It’s nice to come to work where it’s like a second home.”

Employees say in a survey that the nature of the work can be challenging and stressful, but the company atmosphere and culture make it enjoyable. They say bosses are flexible and understanding, and do what they can to make the job easier.

“We have a great team that works together as a team,” one employee says. “Even when things get stressful as will happen in the mortgage business, we still work together to make things happen.”

“I like it because it helps me to grow and learn more because I have a good work environment,” another employee says. “I’m surrounded with excellent co-workers that make you feel good and help with anything I need.”

Richard Silva, the company’s marketing coordinator, says management is approachable and always open to suggestions. Southern Fidelity holds pizza parties on a weekly basis where lunch is provided and employees talk about what’s going on in the company, covering a range of issues.

Silva says top workplace recognition will help the company recruit new employees and is great for marketing.

“It helps with people within the company so they don’t stray away. From a marketing perspective, it shows we know what to do,” he says.

Nelson says his advice to other companies looking to become a top workplace is to focus on relationships with employees. It’s important to connect with them and that will translate into success for the company, he says.

“We wouldn’t be in the place we are without a lot of the people here,” Nelson says. “I think that’s the key. The more people give, the more they should receive. It’s important for them to have that relationship where they can speak freely. I’m not just the owner but the owner-operator. I sit in the same area they sit, and it’s important to hear and see what’s going on. If they are having a bad day, it’s important to help them through that. Relationships help the bottom line in the end.”