Top reverse mortgage lender Finance of America Reverse (FAR) has been certified by Great Place to Work for the first time in the company’s history.
The designation, based entirely on the shared perspectives of employees currently working for the organization, comes from 93% of surveyed employees describing FAR as a “great place to work.” That rating is 34 points higher than the average U.S. company, according to a joint announcement from FAR and Great Place to Work.
“Great Place to Work Certification isn’t something that comes easily – it takes ongoing dedication to the employee experience,” said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of global recognition at Great Place to Work in a joint announcement. “It’s the only official recognition determined by employees’ real-time reports of their company culture. Earning this designation means that FAR is one of the best companies to work for in the country.”
Echoing the sentiments is Kristen Sieffert, president of FAR, who sees the honor as a celebration of the company’s employees, she said.
“We are honored to receive this recognition and to celebrate the incredibly talented, hard-working, and devoted individuals who make FAR a wonderful place to work and grow a career,” said Sieffert in the joint announcement. “Our primary focus is to cultivate an environment that fosters collaboration and ingenuity while encouraging everyone to strive to be their very best. Our team is our greatest asset and it is the responsibility of our senior leadership to respect, affirm, and empower everyone. We have a lofty mission at FAR – to revolutionize how people think about and fund their retirement – and the people who work at FAR are the catalysts who will help make it possible.”
The COVID-19 pandemic, as it was for many businesses, has been a source of change for FAR and the company has aimed to show as much dedication to its team as possible. The necessity of transitioning to virtual work caused the company to take on new initiatives to engage with employees who had to shift to a home environment for business, coordinating virtual events and sending themed gifts along with personalized communications in an effort to keep employees connected to each other.
“FAR also relaunched its ‘10 Star’ initiative to strengthen its collaborative vision and highlight employees who go above and beyond the expectations of borrowers, partners, and coworkers,” the company said in the joint announcement. “To further invest in employees, the company holds an annual President’s Retreat, a premier event that offers employees the chance to build an interoffice community, elevate their leadership skill sets, and spearhead creative new solutions for FAR’s borrowers.”
According to research conducted by Great Place to Work, employees at certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid and promoted fairly.
According to Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsement data compiled by Reverse Market Insight (RMI), FAR is ranked as the second-largest reverse mortgage lender in the industry, with 4,759 endorsements across the 12-month period ending in May 2021.
