Company Background

Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $157 billion in assets. The company ranks #99 on the Fortune 100 list. Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, homeowners, life, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans. The Nationwide companies include the country’s seventh-largest property/casualty, the fourth-largest homeowners, the sixth-largest auto insurance group and the country’s largest farm owners insurer. Nationwide Life Insurance Company, the major subsidiary of Nationwide Financial, ranks 11^th in assets according to A.M. Best.

Emergent Company Highlights

Workforce Need: Building and maintaining a work culture that will benefit both employees and the company overall.

Emergent Practices: Executive-level commitment to work/life balance options and continuing education, pay for performance program to empower employees, employee-driven clubs/sports groups and volunteer/charity initiatives to build employee commitment and be known as an employer of choice.

Programs: Alternative Workplace Solutions (including flextime, telecommuting, job-sharing and part-time schedules), tuition reimbursement and educational assistance, fitness activities, activities association with 30 special-interest clubs and 22 sports groups, performance management program, On Your Side Volunteer Network, FAN volunteerism program and extensive professional development programs.

Key Statistics:

• 2004 retention rate = 90%
• In 2004, associates, agents and retirees pledged more than $7 million to United Way. The Nationwide Foundation matched this amount for a total contribution of more than $14 million for 751 local United Ways in communities across the country.
• 30 special-interest clubs and 22 sports programs offered as part of activities association

Awards Won:

• Nationwide awarded Psychologically Healthy Workplace award (2005)
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation World Achievement Award (2005)
• Allied Insurance (a Nationwide Company) named 2005 outstanding Business of the Year by the Iowa Asian Alliance
• Nationwide received United Way of Central Ohio's first-ever Chairman’s Award – the highest honor given to a company or organization recognizing the best in corporate and volunteer-support practices

Emergent Practices Description

Nationwide believes that the success of its company is directly related to the quality and performance of its employees, which is why it takes work/life balance initiatives and its performance management seriously.

Realizing the importance of meeting the needs of its employees outside of the workplace, Nationwide developed a comprehensive Alternative Workplace Solutions program in 1994-1995 that allows workers to take part in telecommuting, job-sharing, flextime and part-time arrangements. 

Nationwide encourages the development of associates and believes in providing associates with the tools to help them shape their own destiny. To help associates utilize tools relevant to their development, Nationwide has a Talent Management department. This department incorporates areas such as recruiting/staffing and learning/development into one department. The Nationwide learning and development department supports associate development at all levels. At Nationwide, organization values are so important that to date, approximately 19,000 associates have participated in ImagiNationwide, a program designed to ensure associates understand these values and the impact they have on our culture. Nationwide’s commitment is to provide all associates an opportunity to engage in a shared values system that promotes both personal and professional growth.

At Nationwide, volunteerism is a priority. The company recently launched the On Your Side Volunteer Network, a new program that will send Nationwide associates into the community as volunteers in greater number than ever. The program provides associates with volunteer opportunities that match personal criteria like location, time available, skill sets, personal passions and professional development objectives. As an added incentive, the Nationwide Foundation provides $100 grants to qualified nonprofit organizations where associates volunteer at least 25 hours. In addition, the Nationwide Activities Association boasts 30 special-interest clubs and 22 sports clubs, such as the black history club, bowling club and the gay and lesbian club.