“When your employees proudly exclaim that the best part of working for your company is ‘the people that I work with’ you know you are doing something right.” – Mike Carli
Allegiant Fire Protection is proud to be a small business that puts its employees well being at the top of its priority list. Allegiant was founded in 2018 by Mike Carli (President), Chris Rocke (Vice President and CFO), and Jill Nottke (VP of Sales). In less than a year the Illinois based company has established itself as a trusted provider of Fire Protection Services.
Allegiant takes pride in its work and seeks to innovate in an industry that literally has its customer’s lives and livelihoods in its hands. Fire protection services are the first line of defense when disaster strikes.
“At the core of every installation and inspection that we do is a profound awareness for the lives that we are protecting. We trust our team to take that mission to work with them every day and take great pride in hiring talented and hardworking individuals who are people focused.” – Mike Carli
Building a Company Culture
As they move into their sophomore year of business Allegiant is excited to expand into new markets. However, this growth does not come at the expense of their company culture. They remain dedicated to maintaining an environment that values its employees and treats them as individuals.
“We believe we do our best work when our staff takes ownership of Allegiant and cares for it as if it were their own.” – Chris Rocke
At Allegiant this means making sure that every employee can look at the company and see how they fit in. This is particularly important for small businesses who don’t want to see a lot of turnover in the ranks. Not only do Mike, Chris, and Jill take pride in working alongside their employees, but they also give them the tools that they need to perform their roles without heavy oversight from above.
This approach is one of the philosophies upon which Allegiant was founded:
“Train people well enough that they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” – Richard Branson.
These words of wisdom aren’t just nice to say they are supported by science. Numerous gallop studies show that Happy Employees, who are engaged and trusted by management, perform better in almost every way.
Employee Appreciation is an Investment in the Success your Business
In environments where trust is low, employee appreciation can improve employee engagement by 28 percent. In workplaces where trust is high, appreciation pushes engagement even higher, from 65 percent all the way to a whopping 91 percent. Another study showed that happy employees are 20% more productive than sullen ones and when sales are involved a happy staff can mean an increase in profits by 37%.
How does Allegiant promote Happiness in the Workplace?
Once you’ve hired a team of talented people, how do you keep them happy and engaged? One word: Gratitude!
Mike, Jill, and Chris want everyone who works for them to know that they are thankful for their efforts. To show gratitude for their team Allegiant regularly holds employee parties. Everyone is encouraged to bring their families, enjoy themselves and spend quality time with their coworkers. At these events, the formalities of work are momentarily set aside in favor of getting to know each other. They know that that meeting each other’s families and fostering camaraderie in the team makes it stronger.
“From time to time all work environments have tough days and all employees do too. It is our hope that our employees can navigate challenges at work and at home with greater confidence knowing that they having a team of people that care about them.” – Mike Carli
“Employees who feel that their company is invested in them, are inspired to invest in the company. They care because they are cared for and we see the results manifest in the success of our business.” – Jill Nottke
What is the Best Thing about working for Allegiant?
The appreciation that Allegiant shows its team has not gone unnoticed. Everyone universally agreed that the Holiday Parties really are The Best and when asked about the things that make Allegiant great, they had this to say:
“The company is family oriented. When a company usually says family comes first it is not always true but when Allegiant says it, you can count on them meaning it. The upper management and owners are friendly and do not throw their “title” around. The President will put on his work clothes and go out into the field to help when needed without hesitation.”
“The best part of working at Allegiant is being part of a company that is taking a fresh approach to the fire protection industry. The leadership team is open to new approaches and is committed to what works for all of us – other companies I’ve worked for seem to ignore the big picture and don’t consider how decisions impact every employee.”
“I have worked with other companies where you are handed a paycheck without a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good job’ to go with it. When being thanked, it makes a difference in your attitude and the way you want to work.”
“I am a single mother, at times it can feel that the world is against you and that nobody is there to help you. Working for Allegiant I know that I can turn to anyone in the company for help and they will be there. The people here always go out of their way to help each other no matter the situation. They want to see you succeed not only in the business but also in your personal life. It is easy to work hard for this company because you know that you will always be rewarded for it and no small task goes unnoticed.”
It’s not hard to see why Allegiant is a positive and engaging place to work. There is an implicit understanding that everyone works to serve some higher purpose in their life and for most employees at Allegiant that purpose is family. What is wonderful is that not only do Allegiant employees make a living so that their families can thrive, when they are at work they become a part of a lively and thriving work family.