Financial services firm Edward Jones ranked number four on “Fortune” magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For 2014” list in its 15th appearance on the prestigious list, according to the three area financial advisors – Watson, Geddings and Chestnut. The firm was the highest-ranking financial-services firm on the list.
Edward Jones’ 15 “Fortune” rankings also include top 10 finishes for 11 years, top five rankings for six years and consecutive No. 1 rankings in 2002 and 2003. Last year, the firm ranked eighth overall.
In the FORTUNE survey of associates, 96 percent of Edward Jones associates said they are proud to work at Edward Jones.
The survey also revealed that 96 percent of Edward Jones respondents say firm leadership is honest and ethical; 93 percent say they are offered the training and development they need; and 95 percent feel pride in what they accomplish.
The full list and related stories appear in the Feb. 3 issue of “Fortune” and at www.fortune.com.
To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, the magazine partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the institute’s trust index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction and camaraderie. The other third of the scoring is based on the company’s responses to the institute’s culture audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, internal communications, training, recognition programs and diversity efforts.
Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm’s business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm’s 12,000-plus financial advisors work directly with nearly seven million clients to understand their personal goals from college savings to retirement  and create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.
-article submitted
by Jay Geddings