Employer Profile

This mutual insurance company in Bloomington, Ill., is trying out a new strategy to boost creativity and enhance productivity. The Systems@Work program was designed to provide employees with everything they need to work from any location at any time. Office facilities have been redesigned to include common areas that offer a relaxed atmosphere with lounge-style furniture and an open floor plan. The new work environment also includes separate "war rooms" that can be reconfigured to suit a team's needs. Another new policy calls for the use of the agile software development methodology, which promotes and encourages involvement and communication among project teams, sponsors and customers. Another new program is the Innovation Challenge/Breaking Form initiative, which encourages IT employees to develop and present ideas that can be quickly assessed for viability. Each IT employee has the opportunity to choose his own work schedule, benefits package and work environment from a series of options that range from the traditional to the innovative, with an emphasis on mobile and collaborative work environments. Other benefits include company coverage for an average of 75% of health benefit costs, a defined-benefit retirement plan and a 401(k) match program through which the company can contributes up to $1,200 annually.