First place, managers with 20 to 49 employees
Dana Investment Advisors Inc. is no stranger to Pensions & Investments' annual Best Places to Work in Money Management program. The Brookfield, Wis.-based manager is a five-time winner, driven by the close-knit, collaborative culture the firm has created for its 40-plus employees.
The firm found a formula that works and stuck with it, creating a familial work environment founded on fairness, respect and inclusion, that ultimately manifested itself in the investment process for the firm's clients.
CEO Mark Mirsberger said via email: “Our strong family/employee culture directly impacts our client experience as clients benefit from working with and developing strong relationships with a passionate team that essentially has little to no turnover for decades.”
Dana particularly sees this culture carry over to its socially responsible strategies, where it manages more than $900 million of its $7.2 billion in assets under management. “We think it is very important that our culture be consistent with the socially responsible governance tenets we find attractive and beneficial within our socially responsible investment strategies,” Mr. Mirsberger wrote.
The firm recently moved to a new facility that doubled its workspace, taking employee input on design and amenities. Further emphasis was put on employee health and well-being as two refrigerators were purchased and stocked with healthy snack and drink offerings, and sit-to-stand desks were installed at all work stations.
Employees noted several of the more tangible benefits they enjoy at Dana, such as access to senior management, a generous 401(k) match and 100% employer-paid insurance premiums.
Among the intangible benefits, employees are encouraged to do their jobs as it suits them and work independently as they contribute to the overall firm-wide effort. One employee seconded this practice: “Leadership understands the difficult balancing act between providing employees freedom and independence to excel while maintaining a firm-wide focus on the most important tasks.”
