Insights and Intuition

Every month Prairie Business asks business leaders in the region a question, and they answer with their perspective and insight. The question we asked for June is: "What employee perks and benefits does your company offer to help keep employees engaged and motivated?" Here are the responses from four business experts:

Kari Kiesow, human resources manager, TSP Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D.

Image: Courtesy of TSP Inc.

TSP offers a comprehensive traditional benefits package, and I think those perks, combined with our status as an employee-owned firm, really help us build engagement among team members.

Our Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) provides TSP team members with company ownership in addition to another retirement-type benefit. Employee ownership helps preserve our more than 90-year legacy with our team members and the communities we serve. The ESOP also helps to motivate our people and share in the revenue we help create. Each day we’re taking care of our clients, and together we are rewarded for that teamwork, service, and passion.

TSP also holds an annual all-team meeting that is vital for building connection among team members. It’s an opportunity to celebrate past achievements and look forward to our future. The annual meeting builds energy and excitement about TSP and the critical role each team member has in making that future vision a reality.

Until this year, we hadn’t held an in-person annual meeting since 2019. We certainly hope to continue in-person annual meetings. It’s fantastic to have the technology to accommodate a virtual meeting, but we believe face-to-face meetings help us better understand each other and those we serve.

Joni Smith, human resource manager, Moore Holding Co., West Fargo, N.D.

Image: Courtesy of Moore Holding Co.

We are an employee-owned company. The ownership culture is a motivator as it helps instill the importance of doing the best job you can because you know you are making a difference and directly impacting the bottom line.

We recognize the importance of work/life balance and have implemented flexible working hours and working remote policies. We give our employee owners autonomy to do their jobs, which establishes trust and raises motivation. Our company is also as transparent as we can be regarding financial performance and strategic goals.

We recognize our employee owners who go above and beyond in their job performance and with our clients. We give “kudos” to these employees at our quarterly company meetings and within our employee engagement platform, where we also ask our employee owners for feedback regarding how we can continually improve our culture. In addition, we hold a weekly 20-minute online stand-up meeting, which gives us an opportunity to gather as an organization, build community and share great content.

Laura Werk, senior VP/chief financial officer, Noridian Healthcare Solutions, Fargo, N.D.

Image: Courtesy of Noridian Healthcare Solutions

At Noridian, we put people first. This isn’t just a tagline, it’s in the actions we live out every day. Our people are our greatest asset.

Noridian Healthcare Solutions offers an atmosphere of growth, support to succeed and resources for our employees to thrive in their careers. We invest in our employees by providing a variety of tools and resources that cultivate a culture of career ownership, development and empowerment, while simultaneously providing leaders with the tools and resources needed to help employees grow.

Employees appreciate our culture of team collaboration, a flexible work environment and our encouragement of community volunteerism. Our work makes a difference for countless people accessing health care services and employees understand the critical nature of the complex, but meaningful work they do.

To keep employees engaged, Noridian offers internal RAVE forms where people can recognize their colleagues for good work and the feedback is shared directly to their supervisor. Service awards are given to employees for every five-year internal, which includes a ceremony and bonus.

For employees looking to further or continue their education, Noridian offers up to $5,000 in education assistance per year. In addition, the culture at Noridian encourages team engagement through a variety of social activities.

Emily Wieck, VP talent management & organizational development, Choice Bank, Minneapolis

Image: Courtesy of Choice Bank

At Choice Bank, developing meaningful perks and benefits to engage and motivate employees, requires a wide array of options because we know it’s never a one-size fits all. We continuously engage our team members through focus groups, surveys and executive luncheons to find out what’s most important to them. Three perks and benefits often rise to the top.

Our teams are driven to serve their communities. Where employees choose to serve is often very personal, being near and dear to their hearts. All employees are given an unlimited number of days to volunteer their time and talents in their communities. And boy do they! Yammer, our internal social site, is full of pictures and posts of proud employees giving in ways that matter most to them.

Staying connected in a post-pandemic world is top priority. Our employee footprint expands across 15 states. Book clubs, wellness clubs, mental health committees, virtual escape rooms and office olympics performed in the office or at home are just some of the examples that keep us connected.

The most recent benefit offered is our flexible or unlimited PTO. Employees get to choose how much time is meaningful for them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.