Pros
Ensemble is the only place I have seen that walks in their culture daily, not just talks it. Leaders are approachable, supportive, and real. Associates are genuinely empowered. Transparency from the top down is refreshing. I look forward to the launch of a better career ladder because it is sorely needed; promoting from within should be the first option whenever possible. The company goes out of its way to stay exciting, relevant, and charitable and the organizational development is top notch. We constantly evolve to meet the needs of the employees, the clients, and the industry; I have never seen senior leaders so responsive to the climate in the organization.
Cons
My only con is the pay. We have many associates leave for (significantly) higher salaries and we lose candidates in the pipeline constantly because the pay is so low. If we only pay $14/hr, we're only going to get work that's worth $14/hr. Leadership can come into the company with a decent salary but subsequent promotions are hardly worth it; getting a 4% increase in pay is ridiculous when your responsibility doubles. The promotion should be based on the job and stay competitive with outside talent, not on the candidate's current salary. There are extensive studies that show investing in human resources pays dividends; retention and internal promotions save money since the company is very focused on shaving operating margins. I would gladly forfeit a bonus since it's taxed so heavily for $2/hr more on my salary, or at least a 15% pay raise if I take a promotion within the company. The job market is too competitive and Cincinnati has the highest cost of living in Ohio; there are countless other health systems and insurance companies in the area feeding from the same pool. We need to do better to find and keep talent as we grow so quickly. Culture will carry us part of the way but we have got to stop pretending pay doesn't matter- it does. At the end of the day, this is still a job and people will leave for better compensation.
