Allianz Life Earns Top 50 Ranking on the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For List
January 16, 2014 by Allianz
Twin Cities-based financial services company honored for third consecutive year; new veterans and LGBT employee groups earn praise
MINNEAPOLIS – Jan. 16, 2014
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life) today announced that it has been named to FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the third straight year and earning recognition as the top workplace in Minnesota, ranking 47 on the national list. In the 2014 edition, FORTUNE recognized Allianz Life’s focus on supporting the success and career development of its employees. Based in Minneapolis, Allianz Life is a leading provider of retirement income and protection solutions, including fixed and variable annuities and life insurance, and employs more than 1,700 people at its corporate campus.
“Allianz Life made the FORTUNE 100 list for the third year in a row because of the dedicated, motivated employees who make this company an exceptional place to work,” said Allianz Life President and CEO Walter White. “We are proud to be named a Best Place to Work and believe that the success and development of our employees positions them to deliver on our commitment to our customers. By focusing on our employees, we have created a positive chain reaction that improves our products and services.”
Allianz Life supports employee welfare personally and professionally which ultimately gives positive results for the customer. As a Best Place to Work For, Allianz Life offers its employees programs to enhance their social, physical and financial well-being. Fostering diversity of thought happens through common-interest employee networks, called employee resource groups. The company has four employee resource groups, two of which began in 2013. “Operation: SERVE” is dedicated to serving veterans and their families; and Encore, is focused on supporting the Allianz LGBT community through inclusion, education and outreach.
For career development, Allianz Life has clearly defined career paths within the organization. All career paths are visible to employees regardless of job title, and employees can take professional skills training to develop into the career they wish to pursue. Allianz Life also offers on-campus amenities such as child care, a fitness facility, massage therapy and two subsidized cafés.
“At Allianz Life, employee career growth and recognition are top priorities,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Suzanne Dowd Zeller. “To provide the best service for our customers, our employees need to be engaged and we work to create an environment that makes this a reality.”
On the Fortune list, Allianz Life ranked #59 in 2013 and #51 in 2012. In addition to the recognition from FORTUNE, Allianz Life received the Minneapolis Star Tribune Top Workplace award (June 2013) and was named as one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Healthiest Employers of the Twin Cities for 2013 (June).
To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America; 257 firms participated in this year’s survey. More than 252,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible.
About Allianz Life
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, one of FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2014, has been keeping its promises since 1896. Today, it carries on that tradition, helping Americans achieve their retirement income and protection goals with a variety of annuities and life insurance products. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, Allianz Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with 142,000 employees worldwide. More than 78 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz knowledge, global reach, and capital strength to help them make the most of financial opportunities.
Media contact information
Sara Thurin Rollin
sarathurin.rollin@allianzlife.com
Jeff Faust
jeff.faust@allianzlife.com
