Austin, Minn. – Cooperative Response Center, Inc. (CRC) is very pleased to announce it was recently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Southeast Minnesota by Workforce Development, Inc. This is the second consecutive year CRC has received this designation. Fifteen local companies were recognized as “best workplaces” in either small- (75 employees or less), medium- (76 - 300 employees), or large- (over 300 employees) sized categories at a banquet held on Thursday, April 24, in Rochester, Minn.
CRC was honored with the designation in April 2013 in the small company category with its 97 regular full- and part-time employees. In 2014, CRC moved to the medium-sized company category with 108 full- and part-time regular employees. Some of the attributes that made CRC a stand out for this honor was its employee benefit program, employee growth, percentage of employees promoted, bonus program, annual increases in pay, and its focus on training and wellness.
“I’m really proud of CRC to be able to achieve this honor for a second year while competing with two different size categories of employers,” said Nancy Morrison, CRC’s vice president, human resources development. “This designation helps CRC meet its goal of being an employer of choice in the area.”
CRC, which has been in business for over 21 years in the Austin area, performs call handling and line crew dispatching for electric utilities throughout the country. It also has an alarm monitoring center, offering medical and security alarm-monitoring services for its membership. Both of CRC’s divisions fulfill an important need in the utility and alarm monitoring industries, often providing critical assistance during times of need.
One of the things that stood out about CRC to Randy Johnson, executive director of Workforce Development, was CRC’s commitment to employee training. Johnson noted that on a visit to CRC’s headquarters in Austin, Minn., he observed a sign stating “Telling Isn’t Training,” highlighting CRC’s emphasis on education for its employees. “CRC spends over $2,200 to train an employee,” Johnson said at the awards banquet. “When people’s lives are at risk, you have to really emphasize training, and that’s what they do at CRC.”
The recipients of the “Best Places to Work” program were part of a commissioned study by Workforce Development, Inc. Each company that participated in the study completed a 40-question survey that allowed their employment practices to be analyzed by the consulting firm Personnel Dynamics Consulting of Florida. The data measured included parameters such as turnover, rate of growth, promotion rates, employee evaluations and feedback, percentage of employee injuries, diversity of management, benefits offered, training expenditures, paid days off, and increase in pay.
About CRC
CRC is a nationwide, cooperatively owned and operated, 24/7 contact center and central station. Founded in 1992, CRC has steadily increased the size and scope of its operation with offices in Austin, Minn., Dunlap, Tenn., and Abilene, Texas. CRC serves over 330 members and associate members in 42 states, representing nearly 5 million consumers. Visit CRC on the web at www.crc.coop.