On October 17, 2019, PLK Communities was honored to win the Best Places to Work in Cincinnati sponsored by the Cincinnati Business Courier. We pride ourselves on a people first philosophy and we are thrilled to know that this philosophy resonates with our associates.
The BPTW process involves a series of anonymous employee surveys for a best places score. Those companies whose tabulated score was 90 or higher were deemed finalists in this contest. PLK has been a finalist two times in the past 3 years. This year the PLK team brought home the win!
As part of the process, our own Jennifer Messerschmidt-Warther, Director of Human Resources, answered the following interview questions for the CBC.
What are the two most important factors in creating a great work environment? Showing your team members love through a fun atmosphere and meaningful perks and benefits, and providing opportunities for excellence and growth through training and development.
What’s your most effective practice for retaining employees? Continuously growing and advancing as a company, which creates opportunity for our team members to grow and advance in their careers.
What are some tangible benefits you offer your employees? Medical, dental, vision, company-paid life and short term disability, voluntary life insurance, long-term disability, flex spending account, health savings account, 401(k) with 4% employer match, wellness program, paid vacation and holidays, paid company events (four per year), paid community volunteering (two days per year), ticket perks (Reds, Bengals, Xavier basketball, charity events), referral bonus, rent discount potential, monthly leasing/commissions opportunity and annual bonus opportunity.
How does your company give back? Twice a year, we close down all operations for an entire day – with pay – to partner with various community organizations and donate our time and energy to their cause or urgent need. To date, we’ve had the privilege of serving at Boys & Girls Club, Matthew 25: Ministries, March of Dimes and Easterseals. We also partner with Talbert House at the holidays to give Christmas gifts to the children in their program through a Giving Tree drive at all of our communities.
After winning the Best Places to Work award, Megan Lawhon, COO of PLK, had this to say
“I am so incredibly proud of this achievement! It’s been a personal goal of mine since joining the PLK family three years ago. I am acutely aware that everyone makes a choice about where they choose to work. We decide which work family we want to claim as our own. There is so much love in this family and I am so very grateful that all of you chose PLK.”