ESL Federal Credit Union
For Immediate Release:
September 8, 2010
For more information, contact:
Francine Patella Ryan
ESL Public Affairs Manager
fpatella@esl.org
585.336.1089 or 585.261.6220 (cell)
ESL Federal Credit Union Named One of 2010 Best Small and Medium Work Places in America
Locally Owned Credit Union Ranked 12th on List
Rochester, N.Y. - ESL Federal Credit Union was ranked 12th as one of 2010 Best Small and Medium Work Places in America by the Great Place to Work® Institute. The announcement was made this morning through the Great Place to Work® Rankings: 2010 Best Small & Medium Workplaces presented by Entreprenuer®. ESL ranking is number 12 on the Best Medium Workplaces list. This is the first time the locally-owned credit union entered the competition and was named to the list.
"We are pleased to receive this honor," said David L. Fiedler, President and CEO. "We believe this reflects the importance we place on our workplace practices and in building a unique employee-focused culture. Our strategy is built on delivering a superior experience for our members and, we believe that depends on creating a superior employee experience."
This annual list represents the best workplaces separated into two categories; small companies with 50-250 employees and medium companies with 251-999 employees. Great Place to Work® based in San Francisco, produces the Best Small and Medium Workplaces list each year.
Approximately 350 companies from around the country were entered into the rigorous competition. As a result of a randomly selected survey of 400 employees last fall, ESL was one of approximately 150 companies invited to submit a comprehensive cultural audit. After a thorough review of ESL's culture and people practices, the Great Place to Work® Institute narrowed the list down to the 50 Best in America — 25 small-sized companies and 25 medium-sized companies.
The Great Place to Work® Institute evaluated ESL based on five areas; credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. The Institute's methodology measures the level of trust that exists between employees and management, the pride employees express about the company and the camaraderie employees share.
Great Place to Work® Institute, Inc., has been studying and identifying best companies for more than 25 years. Great Place to Work® Institute's proprietary methodology and assessment tools examine the level of trust at an organization.
"ESL Credit Union continues to stand out as an employer and corporate citizen of Rochester," said Marcus Erb, senior research associate and senior consultant with Great Place to Work® Institute. "ESL goes above and beyond in their work with the local community, partnering with the local school district, housing authority, and other non-profits to recruit diverse candidates who may not have a strong resume, but who have the potential to be strong contributors at the organization, bringing along a diversity and wealth of life experiences. ESL's workplace is characterized by strong health benefits, a great wellness program, well-conceived upward and downward communication, fun parties and celebrations, and a high level of community involvement and responsibility. Not only is ESL a great workplace, but great lengths are pursued to extend their values and culture to the larger community."
Marking its 10-year anniversary, Entreprenuer.com has evolved into the most widely used website by entrepreneurs and leaders in business worldwide. As the leading small business website on the Internet, Entrepreneur.com serves its visitors' needs by creating the most satisfying experience with relevant content, logical information management and ease of access.
Founded by George Eastman in 1920, ESL Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial institution with $3.8 billion in assets. ESL employs more than 600 people locally and has more than 300,000 members world-wide. Access to the credit union includes 20 branch locations and more than 40 ATM locations, a Tele-Banking Center, and Internet and online banking channels. The company is headquartered at 225 Chestnut Street, in Rochester, and can be found on the Internet at www.esl.org.
Please Note: A complete list of the 2010 Best Small and Medium Work Places in America can be found at www.greatplacetowork.com/what_we_do/lists-us-sme.htm or www.entrepreneur.com/greatplaces/ after 6:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.