Monitronics employees celebrate earning a spot on Dallas Morning News' "Top 100 Best Places to Work" list.
By Ashley Willis
DALLAS — Lauded for providing its employees with a positive work environment, Monitronics has earned a spot on Dallas Morning News' "Top 100 Best Places to Work" in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
A company must be nominated by at least one individual to be considered for the program. Once approved by Dallas Morning News, company employees are then asked to complete a 23-question survey to gauge how they feel about their work environment.
As a first-time applicant for the program, the results have been encouraging for the company, Monitronics Human Resources Vice President Lori Bishop tells SSI.
"The company has been invited to participate in the program before, but this is the first time that we actually completed the survey," she says. "I wanted to see if we had a shot at earning a spot on the list, so I took the opportunity to look at survey data that we had done as a company. I saw that our employees were very positive about the work experience here."
Bishop says creating a positive work environment relies on a strong team that's willing to work together for the good of the company. So, when hiring new workers, Monitronics organizes a team of employees to choose which potential candidate has the right attitude and characteristics to contribute to the company.
"We feel that after HR has done a very thorough job of screening potential candidates, our employees will take it to the next level by finding people who they know will represent the organization well," Bishop says. "We want our employees to stay with us a long time, provide great service to our customers and help us grow."
Monitronics also emphasizes educating its workers to promote employee retention. Its efforts include providing formal classroom training for new hires, as well as training for each department within the organization. For example, all managers are also assigned to specialized sessions to improve communication skills.
"It's centered on adult-to-adult two-way communication, mutual trust and respect, and high expectations," Bishop explains. "It has created a real buzz for our company because it enables managers to do great things with their teams. It helps to eliminate the traditional constraints of the employee-manager relationship that can be adversarial or worse."
Incentive programs are another way that the monitoring company boosts employee confidence. Monitronics offers a comprehensive benefits package, as well as a robust wellness program, continuing education support with tuition reimbursement and a personal concierge program.
Additionally, Monitronics has several employee recognition programs to build employee morale. Through the "It's Up to Me" campaign, staff members nominate someone they feel has done an exceptional job. The recognized individuals then participate in a photo shoot, and then their photos, which feature a statement on what each employee has accomplished, is placed throughout the company building. Although there are other programs that offer monetary awards, this particular recognition award really stands out for workers, Bishop says.
"It's probably our most coveted recognition, and there is no money associated with it," she says. "It's not something our employees do because there is something in it for them; it's because they are great employees."
To view footage of how Monitronics earned the "Top 100" spot, click here.
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Ashley Willis is associate editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.