1. How does being in an ESOP affect your personal work?
Prior to joining Ollis, I worked for large national organizations with hundreds of thousands of employees. There were some good things working for them, but you would often feel and hear that you had no input in the functions of your work, couldn’t impact change and were limited in supporting your client. This was a constant stress for everyone. When I joined Ollis, I didn’t understand the value the ESOP would have for me and my family in the long run. I was still in the mindset of non-ownership. Do my job and don’t waste time making suggestions to improve how the organization functions. I quickly realized how each day I can make a difference, recommend areas for the agency to improve and truly impact our clients and my peers. This changes your view of work and openness on challenges you face.
2. How do you think being in an ESOP affects overall work culture?
I believe the benefit of the ESOP on overall work culture is that everyone has a realistic opportunity to improve the organization with ideas and hard work. With a common goal, focus on our clients and the reward of shared success, we become the number one place to work in our area!
3. What is something you would tell a client about our ESOP?
I have been asked by clients, peers in our industry, and family members about our ESOP. I always tell them; it is a gift the Ollis family gave to each of our employee owners. It is something that for the first 5 years you look at and think, hey that’s nice, then 5 to 10 years you say, wow this is really good, then 10+ you say this has changed my life. Those dates are not always just financially related (while that is a big piece). You learn over those same time periods that those you work with are passionate in helping each other and our clients, want the best for each other and even with varying personalities/communication styles believe the best in each other. I believe that is all due to employee ownership and a focus on constant improvement.
