Making it work
People praises 2 San Antonio companies for their positive culture of caring
The workplace salutes keep coming for San Antonio-based financial services provider USAA.
USAA already ranks among Fortune magazine’s best companies to work for, Forbes magazine’s best employers for women, the Gallup organization’s great workplaces, and the Human Rights Campaign’s top corporations.
On July 24, USAA added another accolade: It ranks eighth on a new list of “Companies That Care” compiled by People magazine and Great Place to Work, a workplace analytics and consulting company. The list features companies that create a culture of community and service within the corporate structure.
USAA is the highest-ranked, Texas-based employer on the list. In all, four Texas-based companies made the cut.
People hails USAA for its longtime commitment to hiring military veterans. That aligns with USAA’s core mission — offering insurance, banking, and investment products to active-duty military members, military veterans, and their families.
The magazine also notes USAA’s creation of the Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zones program, designed to help military spouses find jobs and advance their careers.
“The people that work here are special,” People quotes a USAA employee as saying. “People here genuinely want to help each other. We truly want to do what’s right for our members, and provide financial security for the military and their families.”
As previously mentioned, USAA isn’t the only San Antonio-based company being recognized for its caring attitude.
At No. 13 in the ranking is NuStar Energy, an operator of liquids terminals and pipelines. People lauds NuStar for giving each employee 50 hours a year (a little over six typical workdays) to volunteer. Workers logged 98,000 hours (nearly 4,100 days) of community service in 2017.
People also highlights the fact that every employee contributes to the annual in-house campaign for United Way, with an average donation of $2,148. NuStar also hosts events aimed at finding homes for rescue animals.
Furthermore, the magazine says, NuStar takes care of its employees.
For instance, when a worker lost her husband in a tragic accident, managers set up a scholarship fund that raised nearly $30,000 for her children’s education, according to People. The company also allowed flexible work hours for the widow, sent food and flowers to her house, and helped plan her husband’s memorial service.
“Through the ups and downs of the industry, one thing remains constant,” People quotes a NuStar employee as saying. “This company holds fast to the culture of taking care of both the employees and the communities in which we work.”
Elsewhere in Texas, Austin-based Square Root, which offers data analysis and management software for automotive and retail brands, appears at No. 27 in the ranking.
Square Root gives each employee $3,000 a year to study anything they want — from learning Japanese and traveling to Japan for practice, to taking classes about arranging flowers or being a barista, according to People.
“It’s truly up to you to decide how to spend your budget,” People quotes a Square Root employee as saying. “This makes me feel empowered, cared for, and feel that my individual interests matter.”
Further down the list, at No. 38, is Arlington-based Texas Health Resources, the largest healthcare system in North Texas.
People points out that Texas Health Resources offers new nursing grads a one-year career advancement program called The Versant New Graduate RN Residency, providing classes and mentors as they care for patients.
The nonprofit system also prioritizes hiring military veterans; hiring of vets jumped more than 21 percent from 2016 to 2017. “We truly value what veterans bring to the table,” a Texas Health Resources hiring manager is quoted as saying.