The Good Wages Initiative certifies, celebrates, and showcases Marion County employers that are committed to providing full-time employees both a wage of at least $18/hr and access to employer-sponsored health insurance. EmployIndy launched the Good Wages Initiative in April 2022 and now has 59 partner employers. Marion County businesses can participate in the Good Wages Initiative as either a Certified Employer or a Committed Employer. Certified GWI employers pay all employees $18/hour or more and offer access to health benefits. Committed status is available to employers who do not yet meet one or both of the certification requirements but have created a plan to implement them within two years.
Citizens Energy Group, a Good Wages Initiative Certified Employer, was established in 1887 when civic leaders came together to create a natural gas company to benefit customers and the community. Today, Citizens Energy Group is a broad-based utility service company that provides natural gas, thermal energy, water, and wastewater services to residents and businesses in the Indianapolis area and Westfield. We spoke with Misty Douglas, Sr. Manager, Employee Relations & Recruitment at Citizens Energy Group about the organization and its decision to join the Good Wages Initiative.
Misty shared that today’s job market made it necessary to reevaluate the company’s recruitment and retention strategies. To attract and maintain talent, Citizens has improved its employment branding, created an employee referral program, developed a diverse recruitment strategy by connecting with community partners, encouraged current employees to utilize the organization’s educational assistance program, implemented a hybrid work model, reviewed succession plans for internal growth opportunities, are in the process of overhauling their applicant tracking system to improve the applicant experience, and implemented new performance management and learning management systems. Misty said, “Citizens strengthens our workplace culture by maintaining a focus on serving customers with unparalleled excellence and integrity. Our vision, mission, and values are the foundation of decision-making and guide our continuous improvement efforts. Employees are encouraged to join cross-functional teams and look for opportunities to collaborate across business units.”
Joining the Good Wages Initiative was a natural fit for Citizens Energy Group, as they are very involved with Business Equity for Indy, which is chaired by Citizens President & CEO Jeffrey Harrison. “Citizens Energy Group is committed to helping make Indianapolis a better place to live, work, and play. One way to affirm that commitment is by ensuring that Citizens provides a livable wage and access to employer-sponsored health insurance benefits for our full-time employees. Citizens recently completed a review of our Contact Center’s compensation structure prior to learning about the Good Wages Initiative. The results of the internal review resulted in increasing wages for Contact Center employees,” Misty said. She then added that Citizens is very focused on its role as a community leader: “The completion of our internal review and learning about EmployIndy’s vision of a city where businesses and workers thrive are aligned with our company’s vision to serve our customers and community with unparalleled excellence and integrity.” Misty shared that Citizens Energy Group’s goal with joining the Good Wages Initiative is to demonstrate the company’s commitment to providing a living wage for its employees and noted that it is a great way to stand out to prospective employees and will help attract and retain quality candidates.
When thinking about wages and benefits, Misty stated, “A good wage-and-benefits package can make employees feel rewarded and appreciated for their work. Wages and benefits also provide support to an employee’s family and their health and financial futures, which can help attract and retain top talent.” She added that Citizens Energy Group’s strategy around benefits is to make sure that what the company offers is meaningful and relevant to current and prospective employees. Their current benefits include an active pension plan with a minimum requirement of 5 years of service for eligibility, a 401(k) match for both union and non-union employees, health coverage (including medical, dental, and vision) available on the first day of employment, life insurance, disability insurance, accident coverage, identity protection, pet insurance, and adoption insurance.
To close, we chatted about the successes and challenges Citizens Energy Group has faced in terms of employee engagement. Misty identified working and leading in a new hybrid environment, communicating with employees across a large number of work environments, and creating clear growth opportunities within a flat organizational structure as challenges. In terms of successes, she spoke about company-wide events hosted by the Corporate Affairs Department, including their annual Sharing the Dream service project at a local park, a summer picnic at Victory Field, and a winter celebration at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. She also mentioned the intentional use of cross-functional teams, which allows employees to showcase their talents and develop new skills alongside their peers. Misty then discussed Citizens Energy Group’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, which include a “Did You Know…” series, a book club, community outreach, staff trainings, lunch and learns, and Real Conversations.
Misty closed by sharing that the company wants its employees to have the tools and resources they need to learn the business and grow their careers at Citizens, and she circled back to culture, stating, “Citizens Energy Group has created a culture of teamwork and innovation through which diverse, collaborative groups of employees are continuously producing better outcomes for our customers and the communities we serve.”
To learn more about Citizens Energy Group, visit https://www.citizensenergygroup.com/.
To learn more about GWI, visit https://goodwagesindy.org/.