Top Employee Engagement Survey Measures: My manager is interested in my well being: 93% agree
I have the freedom to make the necessary decisions to do my work properly: 90% agree
Chairman, CEO & President: Thomas Meissner
Years in Business: 134
Full-time Employees: 516(375 in NH)
Years on List: 2
Last year, Unitil’s workforce turnover rate was only 2% and the average employee tenure is 12 years. And it recently saw two employees retire after 40 and 50 years with the company. So how does it do it?
After all, when a big storm blows in, this is a company where employees work 12-hour shifts around the clock until service is restored. That means even the accounting team participates in an annual drill to make sure they are ready to coordinate hotel accommodations for crews from Canada, and engineers know how to lay cones and direct traffic at a pop-up staging area. Customer service managers have the technology at home to take customer calls in emergency situations.
Unitil has cultivated a culture of support—for customers and for each other. To that end, this year, Unitil hired a professional health and wellness coach to create and manage health and wellness initiatives for its employees. That includes providing all employees with a free personal assessment and access to personal training at a discounted rate. The company also reimburses employees up to $400 annually for wellness activities.
Unitil is conducting a pay analysis this year of all job descriptions and pays bonuses ranging from 5% to 45% of an employee’s salary.
Unitil invests in employees’ careers, providing annual tuition reimbursement of $7,500. The company hired Sojourn Partners to start two new leadership development programs. The Leaders in Energy program, geared toward existing leaders, focuses on such topics as management styles and mentoring employees. The 10-month Emerging Leaders Program is geared to high potential employees and focuses on emotional intelligence, building teams and company culture.
Current Issue - May 2024