Bill Thomas had a decision to make: Three highly regarded insurance services companies were asking him to join their team as he looked to make a job change.
The veteran of the healthcare benefits industry knew at that point in his career that it was vital he join a company that provided him with not only an interesting and challenging career, but also one with growth potential. Just as important: The company he chose had to have the right corporate culture—one that facilitated open communication, emphasized teamwork and underscored the importance of client-provider relationships.
His indecision disappeared when he met Kristen Mauger Allison, president and owner of Irvine-based Burnham Benefits Insurance Services. Thomas, intuitive by nature, said he knew that with Allison at the helm, the company was exactly the right fit.
Today as Burnham Benefit’s vice president of Employee Benefits Sales and Service, he’s responsible for sales production, client management and organizational leadership. He credits Allison with setting a tone for the company that encourages team members—the term the company uses for employees—to take initiative and own their success while supporting each other.
“Kris has a very clear vision of how things should be done,” he said. “She is aware of everything. She has a vision of excellence that inspires all of us.”
A Culture of Success
It’s a vision that appears to work for others, too.
Allison helms the best small company to work for in Orange County, based on the Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list of small companies (see list, page 50). It’s the third time the 54-employee company has made the list, which consists of companies that have between 15 and 49 employees. Burnham just hired five staffers about a month ago.
Burnham provides employee benefits for small and medium-sized companies throughout the U.S. It takes a hands-on, consultative approach to determine the right plan for each of its customers’ organizations, a method that it says helped spur a revenue growth rate of 25% over the past year.
Thomas is quick to credit Allison with setting the tone that leads to the company’s success, but Allison credits the employees.
Their commitment, she said, has driven the company’s development.
So what is it that sets Burnham apart? According to Allison, the company strives to be inclusive. Managers show employees respect, as well as give them space to develop.
“We offer a flexible career path,” she said. “People can grow into their roles.”
The company supports and in many cases pays for additional training and classes so team members can be always up to date on the latest changes in the field.
Those changes, in light of the upcoming implementation of the Affordable Care Act, are rapid and at times confusing. Allison said Burnham employees are continually trained to understand how the new law will affect clients so they can answer their questions.
The executive team also emphasizes open communication and team collaboration.
“We’re competitive and collaborative at the same time,” she said. “If you need help completing a project, someone always steps up to help.”
Striking the Right Balance
Allison became part owner of Burnham in 1995 after serving a stint as one of its top producers. She bought the company in 2001.
She grew up observing her entrepreneur father’s approach to managing employees.
“He cared about them, and he cared about their families, too,” she recalled.
Allison said she places importance on helping her employees maintain a work-life balance. She said she doesn’t want them to spend every moment working.
They can take needed time to be an integral part of their families’ lives, as long as they reach their goals and strive to get to the next level.
She said she’s found that approach makes employees more committed. The company has low turnover, with most of its workers staying 10 years or longer.
“We have an entrepreneurial climate here,” she said.
Upper management doesn’t micromanage employees; instead, it rewards them with staff recognition meetings and compensation based on the dollar amount each manages. The company gives vice presidents and account executives support tools, including a complete in-house marketing department to produce needed collateral materials. The executive team encourages employees to share their ideas on how they can improve.
Attractive Benefits
Burnham emphasizes attracting the right kind of talent.
Allison said a certain personality fits best in the Burnham culture—one that’s solutions-oriented, communicative, supportive and entrepreneurial.
Fittingly, Burnham offers its employees a full package of benefits that it says rival the best around. It includes a 401(k) plan with a 50% company match, accrued vacation time and generous sick days.
The company also provides a healthy living program that encourages all employees to participate—the annual wellness challenge is particularly popular.
In 2012, the company challenged employees to “get up and move,” giving each a heart rate monitor and various workouts to complete. For four months, the device tracked the workouts and downloaded data. The company awarded a trip to Hawaii as the grand prize.
Burnham’s approach has done more than make it the No. 1-ranked small company to work for in OC—it has also helped make it what Allison called one of the best-known and most respected companies of its kind.
And it’s growing, having just opened an office in San Francisco.
“There is so much opportunity up there!” Allison said.
For Thomas, the newest addition to its V.P. lineup, there wasn’t a better company he could have joined.
“I’m at home here.”
