UCC-related Embrace Living Scores First as Fortune Magazine’s Best Workplaces for Aging Services™

According to the report, Embrace Living employees feel they make a difference in residents’ lives.

Embrace Living Communities, a network of affordable living communities serving more than 3,000 older adults in three midwestern states and a certified Great Place to Work®, has been recognized by Fortune magazine as the number one Best Workplace for Aging Services™ in small and medium size providers of senior housing and care and, earlier this year, was recognized in the top 25 Best Workplaces in Chicago™ for small and medium size companies.

The recently-released Fortune listing reports that Embrace Living employees have an overall employee satisfaction rating of more than 94 percent, and that 98 percent “feel they make a difference by working in the organization.” In 2018, Embrace Living ranked fifth in Fortune’s annual survey.

The top ranking reflects the culture and values of Embrace Living Communities, says Susan A. Sinderson, executive vice president and COO.

“Embrace Living will soon be celebrating our 125th anniversary. We started with a simple mission of ‘The Love of Christ Compels Us,’” Sinderson says. “The beauty of this organization is that today, the words of our founding pastors still undergird all that we do. No matter what your job title or tasks are, we celebrate your unique skills and perspectives.”

To determine its annual ranking, Great Place to Work® analyzes anonymous survey data from more than 223,000 employees working in older adult housing & care and at-home care industry. Employees respond to more than 60 survey questions describing how their organization creates an environment that is “a great place to work.” Most of the evaluation — 85 percent — is based on what employees say about their experiences of trust and reaching their potential within their organization. The other 15 percent is based on an assessment of all employees’ experiences of innovation, company values, and leader effectiveness.

Embrace Living is “like family,” wrote one employee in the survey. “They make you feel at home and are extremely welcoming. There are so many opportunities for advancement and growth. There are many resources and opportunities to learn new skills, and a lot of training offered to advance.”

The “small and medium” category includes companies with 10 to 999 employees. “For us, our goal-setting process entails every employee having a personal goal that will enhance both their personal and professional life, a team goal that encourages having fun with our residents, and a leadership goal that reinforces that ‘everyone is a leader,’” Sinderson says. “This sets the tone for a culture where all employees and residents feel appreciated.”

That feeling is underscored in the comments from many of the Embrace Living employees. “This company cares very much for not only the residents it serves but the people it employs,” another employee responded in the survey. “People are challenged to a very unique goal- setting process to embrace their lives and identify what they can do to live their best lives possible, grow in areas they see are important to them, and in turn, our residents are treated this way as well.”

Sinderson says that the ranking is important for Embrace Living, not only because it’s useful in marketing communities to both prospective residents and employees, but because of the sense of pride and accomplishment the ranking fosters.

“Our employees are proud to be part of the Great Place to Work® family,” she adds. “Employees are our best resource for new employees, and are proud to talk about why we are a Great Place to Work® when making recommendations to friends and others about working here.”

As part of the celebration of certification, Embrace Living purchased shirts for all employees with the Great Place to Work® logo and a list of honors Embrace Living has received from the program. “Our employees LOVE to wear them and are happy to share with others what the certifications and designations mean,” says Sinderson. “Both residents and employees alike love to share information about the program and why this organization is a great place to live and to work!”

Read more about Embrace Living Communities’ certification.