Family atmosphere cure for competitive business

SUPPORTIVE ATMOSPHERE: With many workers who have been friends since childhood, it’s no surprise that Province Mortgage Associates feels like family, where people take care of each other in good times and bad. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
SUPPORTIVE ATMOSPHERE: With many workers who have been friends since childhood, it’s no surprise that Province Mortgage Associates feels like family, where people take care of each other in good times and bad. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Donald P. Wilson’s son was born with congenital heart disease in 2009. Wilson, as you can imagine, had a lot to worry about. One thing he didn’t have to worry about, however, was his job at Province Mortgage Associates Inc. going away. The situation actually brought him, his co-workers and management closer together.
“Every single employee reached out to help. Most importantly, our company president said, ‘Do what you need to do, and let me know how I can help.’ He helped rally employees to back up my work and my responsibilities, and I took care of my son without worry and without the fear of losing my job,” Wilson said.
His title is director of corporate relations. Talk to him for a little while and you begin to wonder if that title should be changed to Captain Province. His sincerely positive attitude about the company, the way its employees pitched in during a difficult personal time, and the way he describes Province’s family-minded workplace makes it easy to understand why Province has been named one of the Best Places To Work by PBN for four years running and why it came in first for small companies this year.
“Province cares about our employees and their families,” Wilson said. “We make mortgages for families in our community every day, and we support our own as well.”
The company opened its doors in 2005 with a mission to create a culture that set it apart from the dozens of mortgage companies and banks in the state. In the mortgage business, though, there is little room to be unique. A mortgage is a mortgage, as Wilson said, and rates and costs don’t change much, no matter where you go.
But it’s the way customers are treated when they come in to get a home loan that doesn’t have to be a cookie-cutter experience.
“We focus on the experience of the process, which has separated ourselves from our competition time and again. Along with this is the experience of being a Province employee,” he said. “You’re not lost in the crowd at our company. You’re part of a team, and every part is important,” he said.
It’s a competitive business and people could easily get burned out. Province Mortgage’s clientele is earned 100 percent by referral only. That means the mortgage professionals at Province live or die by their service and reputation.
Still, “If we didn’t take time to have a little fun and relax, we’d all be in the hospital,” Wilson said.
To that end, to keep his people happy, President David Currie paid for the operations staff to have massages in the office as a way to reduce tension.
The company also has a Fun Club to ensure gatherings or events are consistently scheduled so everyone can get to know one another a little better and have a few laughs. “A few of our senior mortgage advisers are in charge of creating a small event or contest on a monthly basis,” Wilson said. Examples include an Ugliest Sweater Competition, Name That Baby Picture contests and karaoke nights. “We will also create teams and have contests between employees to foster an enjoyable environment. At work, [it’s] work hard, play hard,” he said.
The company offers a Mortgage Advisor of the Year Award, in which the adviser who finishes first in number of loans and loan revenue for the calendar year is awarded a trip. Province also provides recruiting incentives for mortgage advisers to find other candidates who would be a good fit at the company. If the candidate is hired, the recruiting mortgage adviser gets bonuses.
Wilson points out that loan processors are the backbone of the company. As such, they are offered monthly monetary bonuses based on their production goals, along with flex hours that can be used at their discretion. On a simpler, more quality-of-life level, the company also offers corporate teams for volleyball and softball. This year, company members will walk as a team with their families in the Southern New England Heart Walk.
The family aspect mentioned above is important at Province. When you work long, hard hours in a competitive business, your work life takes on a semblance of family.
“Many of us probably spend more time together at work than we do with our families,” said Wilson. “Some of us at Province have been in the business together since 1997. The core of our operations team has been friends since childhood. We welcome each new employee into this family, and based on the feedback we’ve received, that’s why many have made the choice to work here. They don’t want to be just another number crammed in a cubicle. They want to be heard, respected and supported and that’s what we experience here at Province.”
To ensure all employees are treated fairly, the company has a written affirmative action plan with respect to equal opportunity. It’s designed to provide guidance to management in the company’s goal of commitment to full implementation of its equal opportunity/affirmative action policy.
Where does all this drive to be a great workplace begin?
“I think it starts from the top,” Wilson said.
“Our company president understands the difference between managers and leaders. Dave [Currie] exemplifies the phrase ‘leading by example.’ He’s not the type of company owner who needs the face time and who loves hearing himself talk. He lives in the trenches with his employees, day in and day out, earning their respect so he can lead and coach. This type of leader has helped to maintain everything that is special about Province.” &#8226

No posts to display