Ep. 482 Employees Overwhelmingly Vote Rancho Mesa Best Workplace

Recently, a reputable third party collected anonymous data from our employees that gave insight into what it’s like to work at Rancho Mesa. In this episode, Partner Alyssa Burley, Client Technology Coordinator Brenda Khalil, Marketing & Media Communications Specialist Megan Lockhart, and Client Communications Coordinator Jadyn Brandt discuss the data results and share their own experiences as employees.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, Employees Overwhelmingly Vote Rancho Mesa Best Workplace Article

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Khalil⁠⁠, Megan Lockhart, Jadyn Brandt

Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jadyn Brandt

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

© Copyright 2025. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive.

I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and today I’m joined by our Media Communications and Client Services Department to talk about what it’s like working at Rancho Mesa.

Brenda Khalil is our Client Technology Coordinator, Megan Lockhart is our Marketing & Media Communications Specialist, and Jadyn Brandt is our Client Communications Coordinator.

And, we’re going to highlight some recent data we’ve collected from our employees, that gives some insight into what it’s like to work at Rancho Mesa.

Brenda, Megan, Jadyn welcome to the show.

Brenda Khalil: Thanks Alyssa, thanks for having us.

Jadyn Brandt: Happy to be here.

Megan Lockhart: Hi, happy to be here.

So, in late 2024, for the first time, Rancho Mesa participated in MarshBerry’s Employee Engagement Survey. And this survey allows employees to voice their opinions honestly and, more importantly, confidentially. Once our employees completed the survey, MarshBerry then evaluated the feedback and provided us with a summary of the results.

Now, we found that 93.5% of our employees said they have a high level of overall job satisfaction, and we got some other really positive feedback as well.

Brenda, why don’t you start off by sharing a little bit about how employees view their work/life balance at Rancho Mesa.

Brenda Khalil: Sure. So, 94.3% of employees say their work schedule allows them to have a work/life balance. And I think a lot of people listening would agree that having this balance is a really important part of any job or career, so it’s great to see that such a large majority of our employees feel that they have manageable workloads and are able to take time off when they need it.

So I can attest to this myself actually. So last year I actually had appendicitis and I showed up to work and was in a lot of pain and my manager at the time, she was like, "You need to go to the hospital."

And I ended up having emergency surgery that day. But what was really cool is that I knew that the structure that was put in place at Rancho Mesa allowed me to be able to take that time off of work. I was off for a whole week and I didn't feel pressured or I wasn't at home sitting there thinking, "Oh my gosh, there's all this work that's piling up on my desk. When I get back, I'm going to be so overwhelmed," because I knew that the structure they put into place was having the other employees that were in the same position that I was in, they were able to take on those tasks and get them done so that I wasn't overwhelmed or sitting at home stressed out about it and I was able to actually rest.

And also while I was at home, my manager and several of my colleagues, they checked in on me to see if I was okay, if I needed anything. They sent me a little edible arrangement with a card and a balloon to get well, which I thought was really a nice touch. It was just honestly having that peace of mind that was so reassuring and I felt really cared for that I was treated like family and it was just a really good feeling and I've never experienced anything like that before at another company that I've worked for.

AB:  Absolutely, and our strong PTO policy, and wellness programs via our health benefits plans really help to support employees' well-being. And, Rancho Mesa’s leadership also has a lot of respect for our people’s personal time. There’s been plenty of times when it’s the end of day and we have to tell people to go home! Rarely, is there a good enough reason to stay late.   

And, I think this recognition of balancing work and a personal life is also why employees feel that their well-being is a priority. Brenda, will you talk about the feedback we got on this?

BK: Absolutely.  So, nearly all employees with the company – and that’s 97.5% to be exact-- say their immediate supervisor cares about their well-being. And between maintaining open lines of communication, regular check-ins and providing guidance when needed, it’s easy to feel supported by Rancho Mesa’s leadership team. Plus, we have a OneofOne® Recognition Program, which encourages everyone to show their appreciation when their team members go above and beyond. And based on the numbers, 67% of Rancho Mesa employees were publicly recognized for their OneofOne® work in 2024.

And I think most people would agree that when you are recognized for going above and beyond, it motivates you to continue putting your best foot forward and ultimately creates more productivity within the company. So it’s really a win-win for everyone.

AB: Yeah, it’s great to see that so many of Rancho Mesa’s employees want to recognize their team members, and that so many of them are also putting in the extra effort around the office.

Our team also shared some really positive feedback about their career advancement within the company. Megan, what did we learn from the survey when it comes to career growth?

ML: Well, I think other than work/life balance, people really value career growth and that’s definitely reflected in this data. 97.4% of employees say their careers are being advanced by working at Rancho Mesa. And we see that growth supported by continuing education courses, professional development workshops, and internal promotions. Rancho Mesa funds insurance licensing and certifications for team members, encouraging designations such as AIS, AINS, CRIS, and CISR. And in 2024 Rancho Mesa promoted 16% of its entire workforce to more advanced positions.

And I can attest to this, I started in the Surety Department and part-time kind of in the Media Communications Department but I really wanted to go into the media communications full-time. So Rancho Mesa really worked with me and I was able to fully go into that position. And then three years later, I'm now a specialist. So I can really attest to the career growth that Rancho Mesa provides.

AB: Yeah, we certainly take advantage of any chance we can get to help our employees grow within the company. And, Megan, we saw similar results when we asked about how well employees believe their job aligns with their professional talents, right?

ML: Yes, we did. 97.4% of employees say their job fully utilizes their knowledge, skills and experience. Rancho Mesa’s focus on creating opportunities for team members to train and mentor others, plus encouraging continuous learning, ensures every team member can grow and contribute in their own way.

So kind of like what I said before, like I was in charity but my major was journalism and I really wanted to work in the media side of things. So, you know, you guys really worked with me and took all of my skills and all of my abilities into account when hiring me. And then kind of growing from there, you know, being able to learn so much more about all the things that I wanted to learn like Premier Pro or Adobe or any other things that we wanted to expand on in the department, I was able to get mentored through that.

AB: It’s great that nearly all of our employees feel that way. And finally, we also asked our team about their plans for the future, and if they see Rancho Mesa as a place they want to be long-term.

Jadyn, what did our employees say about their plans for the next three years?

JB: Our survey results showed 92.1% of employees say they plan to keep working at Rancho Mesa for at least the next three years. And that’s certainly reflected in the company’s low employee turnover rate, which reflects the strong loyalty and satisfaction felt among the team members. There are a number of employees currently at Rancho Mesa that have been with the company for 10, 15 even 20 and 25 years.

I'm relatively new to the company, but when I talk to the people that have been here for that long, you can really tell that they have a care and a loyalty for the company, and they feel that the company has the same for them. And so it's great for them, but also as a newcomer, it's great to hear that and to see that. And it makes me excited for the future with Rancho Mesa.

AB: The fact that so many people choose to stay with Rancho Mesa is a clear indication of our commitment to each other. Now this survey returned at lot of really positive feedback, and it’s even more meaningful knowing that, while many companies have purchased “best place to work” awards through various publications, Rancho Mesa has worked with a third party, MarshBerry, to collect real data from our real employees.

I think it’s a testament to Rancho Mesa’s character and how we believe in doing what’s right even when it’s hard. And, I think it’s important especially when you’re looking for a commercial insurance agency to represent your business in the marketplace, as well as, when you’re working in the industry and want to spend your career in a positive and healthy workplace.

So, thank you all for joining me today in StudioOne™ and sharing the results of the survey.

BK: Yeah, thanks Alyssa.

ML: Thanks for having us.

JB: Thanks for having us.

AB: And for our listeners, if you’re interested in becoming part of our growing Rancho Mesa family, visit our website at RanchoMesa.com and click on the “Careers” tab.

Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at RanchoMesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.