Workplace Culture Archives - �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý Title Insurance Co.

Creating A Work Culture That Delivers

Adam Mohrbacher — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 02:50:08 +0000

�ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý has scored its eighth straight Great Place to Work® designation!

By Adam Mohrbacher

�ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý was recently certified as a Great Place to Work®—its eighth straight certification. This honor reflects the hard work of many people to build a workplace where employees can bring their whole selves to work and contribute their unique skills, insights and experiences to the betterment of the organization and the agents it serves. Below, you’ll hear about some of the reasons why �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý gained its eighth certification and how this enables the company to deliver more for its independent agents.

Building solidarity and support with EET

Perhaps the most foundational element of �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý’s welcoming, inclusive and high-performing culture is its employee engagement team (EET). The EET was designed to create a working environment where every employee feels engaged, rewarded and personally committed. Kim Bergner, �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý’s Internal Auditor, recently spoke to the effectiveness of those efforts.

Bergner has been a part of the EET for two years. She described how one of its subcommittees, called “Knowledge Bytes,” offers employees a Zoom-based forum to showcase contributions and “explain their challenges and how others in the company can help.” From Bergner’s perspective, these programs are essential for fostering a positive work culture. “They build bridges and relationships between employees in different departments of the company,” she explained, which is deeply important in an era of remote work.

Creating future leaders through the Trailblazer Mentorship Program

The EET is just one of many initiatives that contributes to �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý’s Great Place to Work® status. A new program launched this year is the Trailblazer Mentorship Program. Structured as a seven-month initiative, the Trailblazer Mentorship Program pairs veteran employees with workers who are interested in improving their skills, confidence and careers. The program offers monthly group and one-on-one meetings where mentors and mentees connect to explore topics like goal setting, leadership and career growth—all within a safe and supportive space.

Bergner recently completed the Trailblazer Mentorship Program and has spoken positively about the effort. Another �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý employee who took part is Jace Coffie. As one of �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý’s youngest employees, Coffie represents the next generation of professionals that any underwriter should seek to cultivate and grow into a long-term employee. For Coffie, the program accomplished exactly that, helping him establish a solid foundation for a long and successful career. “This program has had such a huge impact on my first-year journey, and I know it will continue to shape me moving forward,” he said.

Great Place to Work® pays off beyond �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý

Investing in employee wellness, growth and development is about much more than the company itself. It also benefits stakeholders. Bergner notes that programs like EET and Trailblazers “build morale in the organization.” Higher morale, she continues, “can foster satisfaction, which can ultimately lead to longer employee retention.”

Time and time again, longer-tenured employees perform better on behalf of partners and customers. Data from Gartner showed that companies which successfully retain employees achieve 23% higher productivity than those that don’t. Glassdoor discovered a similar correlation between employee happiness and a company’s impact on its stakeholders. Its research showed that each “1-star improvement in an employer’s Glassdoor company rating out of 5 is associated with a statistically significant 1.3-point increase in customer satisfaction.”

Here’s to the next eight

Given this data, there’s no question about the importance of credentials like Great Place to Work®. This honor isn’t just something nice to tuck into a press release or fact sheet. Instead, it is a mission-critical priority for any business desiring to create positive outcomes for its employees, partners, customers and communities. �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý couldn’t be happier to have achieved this goal and its associated benefits for eight years and counting. And it looks forward to raising the bar for many years to come.

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Take Action During April’s Stress Awareness Month

Adam Mohrbacher — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:49:00 +0000

Reduce stress for a happier and healthier workplace.

April is “Stress Awareness Month,” making it the perfect moment to explore how stress affects both individuals and organizations. While stress is a normal process, it can take a toll when left unchecked. �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý HR Director Stacy Stolen discusses the consequences of runaway stress and shares strategies for creating healthier workplaces.

Stress 101

Everyone experiences stress, but have you ever wondered what exactly it is? Stolen says that while stress typically carries negative connotations, on a basic level, it is simply the body’s response to a demand. Any change in a person’s day-to-day life can be stressful.

Here are a few more important things to know about stress:

Stress affects everyone.
Not all stress is bad.
Long-term stress can harm your health.
There are ways to manage stress.
If you feel overwhelmed by stress, it’s important to reach out to a health professional.

Where does stress often show up?

Stress can be anywhere, but it frequently pops up in workplaces, where it can do sizable harm. “Workplace stress has adverse effects on workers’ mental health, with an increased risk of anxiety, burnout, depression and substance use disorders,” Stolen said. “Stressed workers are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors, such as drug abuse or poor dietary patterns.”

The negative consequences of stress affect businesses as well. “It decreases employee productivity,” said Stolen. “Interactions with co-workers may also become strained, causing conflict, complaints and grievances; health concerns; and higher absenteeism.”

Reducing stress begins with awareness

Given how serious stress can be, it must be elevated as a topic of concern for businesses. Employees must also feel comfortable talking about their stress levels and seeking help when stress becomes unmanageable. According to Stolen, recent years have brought increased cultural awareness of the consequences of stress – which is a welcome change. “It has become more acceptable to ‘talk’ about stress,” said Stolen. Yet there is still more work to do. “Companies are still struggling to manage workplace stress,” said Stolen, “and perks like onsite gyms and nap rooms are not the answer to our problem. We must go deeper.”

How can workplaces better address stress?

Addressing the root causes of stress meansdigging into the psyches of stressed-out employees. “If your employees perceive your workplace as a threat, then you cannot build the trust your team needs to collaborate and innovate effectively,” Stolen said. “Employers need to shift from individual-level to organization-level approaches for reducing stress, which can foster employee well-being while simultaneously improving business performance.”

How does �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý reduce stress?

�ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý has developed a plan to reduce workplace stress. Part of this includes the �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý Employee Engagement Team (EET), which helps employees “feel engaged, fairly compensated, rewarded, and personally committed to and inspired by their work.”

The underwriter also tries to let all employees know that it is not only acceptable to take time off to rest and recharge – but encouraged. Additionally, Stolen is working on a mental health “challenge,” where she reaches out to managers to determine if their direct reports have large PTO balances. The intention is to determine whether team members are using the time that they have earned, and if not, to understand why.

�ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý also runs several internal challenges driven by its EET. These focus on stress reduction, fitness and kindness, and mix in other fun challenges such as. Examples include a baby pics challenge, trivia games; and virtual holiday celebrations.

Stolen notes that many of �ǿմ�ý �ǿմ�ý’s initiatives revolve around encouraging laughter throughout the day. Now, humor can’t cure all ailments, but data has proven that a good laugh can have short- and long-term benefits, including:

Short-term benefits – Laughing doesn’t just lighten your mental load, it induces physical changes in your body:
- Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
- A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
- Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce the physical symptoms of stress.
Long-term benefits – Laughter isn’t just a quick pick-me-up, it’s also good for you over the long term:
- Positive thoughts release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses.
- Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
- Laughter makes it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.

There is no magic bullet against stress, but progress is possible!

“I have no secret sauce or silver bullet,” Stolen said when asked about how she manages her own stress. “But what I have learned is that I need to unplug and be able to tell my boss when I am stressed and need help – not so I feel weak, but so I can be good to myself.” This is an effective summation of how we can all better manage stress in our lives and particularly in the workplace. Through a combination of honesty and proactivity, individuals can ensure that they keep their stress levels at a reasonable level. Businesses can also follow this approach during Stress Awareness Month and year-round to create happier, healthier and more sustainable workplaces for all.

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