Alliant Insurance Services wins first place for small company

Year founded: 2018

Headquarters: Irvine, Calif.

Sector: Insurance Consultants & Brokers

Region Employees: 35

Years on list: 1

I love my job because ...

"Alliant affords each team member the opportunity to take ownership of their role and supports creativity in job performance. The Virginia Region, in particular, is highly supportive and inclusive."

"Alliant has created a culture where work life balance is important, encourages growth and promotion and makes work enjoyable."

Alliant Insurance Services Inc. is the nation's largest privately-held insurance brokerage with more than 100 offices and 14,000 employees nationwide. This year the firm's Richmond office makes its debut on the list of Greater Richmond's Top Workplaces. Alliant provides insurance solutions that help clients mitigate risk, and Senior Vice President and Virginia Market Leader Bob Kristofak said that every day, employees are focused on providing first-class service to their clientele, which begins with an extraordinary office culture.

Bob Kristofak, Senior Vice President

What do you believe most contributed to your organization being recognized as a Top Workplace this year?

We have a client first culture here at Alliant. It permeates from our C-suite in California to our regional headquarters in Atlanta to our office here. It's been part of our fabric since we joined Alliant eight years ago. That gives the leadership a unique perspective on the daily challenges we face.

What steps have you taken to promote employee well-being and prevent burnout?

Senior Vice President and Co-Managing Partner Beth Phares and I are big believers in camaraderie and developing the office culture. That's a lot more than saying hello to an employee every morning. It's having frequent meetings and interactions, giving them a say in what we do. Alliant is very non-bureaucratic. If we see something we want to change, we can do it on the fly.

As organizations refine hybrid and in-office expectations, how are you balancing flexibility with maintaining culture and collaboration?

We work with insurance carriers, but we are consultants and insurance brokers, so we're able to have a flexible hybrid model. Our staff works three days a week in the office. We do believe that being in the office increases collaboration and learning for the younger members of the team. Folks are happy to come in, but they have the flexibility to do what they need to do during the week.

What's one initiative that's had the greatest impact on employee morale?

Overall, we are big proponents of work-life balance. Because of that, we encourage fulfillment both inside and outside of work. That takes many forms, such as physical fitness. We celebrate a lot here, and it might be births, professional success or holidays. We keep a close eye on client ratios per employee to make sure they don't have too much work. Vice President and Client Services Leader Carrie Cohn frequently meets with service reps to see how they can be better supported.

How do you encourage philanthropy and a connection to the Greater Richmond community among your employees?

Beth and I have been in the Richmond market for 25-plus years and Carrie for 18. We know Richmond very well, and we know how important it is to give back to the community. We are very good at that, but we can always be better. We give a paid time off day for individuals to volunteer at a charity of their choice. We're also active in charitable causes such as walks for the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and Susan G. Komen.