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Tuesday, April 09, 2002

By Kim Tillotson Fleming

Over the past 50 years, Hefren-Tillotson has learned that the only way our business model of "putting the needs of the client first" will be successful is through the development and retention of outstanding employees. So we took great pride when our firm was named the No. 1 Best Place to Work in the state (for the medium-sized category) by the Great Places to Work Institute.

	Kim Tillotson Fleming, president of Hefren-Tillotson, Inc.

That this statewide annual competition of more than 600 companies used company-wide employee satisfaction surveys as the primary determining factor for ranking companies made it all the more significant to us.

It meant that our employees -- not outsiders -- were the ones who felt we're making their work lives meaningful and enjoyable.

Then again, I can't say we were all that surprised. We believe it is through our "family-oriented culture" of teamwork, integrity and mutual respect that we create an environment in which our employees grow and develop as both financial services professionals and, most importantly, as people.

The company's culture was evidenced in recent years when an employee team was asked to form a list of core values that drive Hefren-Tillotson's approach toward business. The final list of values represent the core of our employees' beliefs, in terms of how we want to operate as a company and our expectations for individual contributors. They are:

Deep Respect for the Individual;

Integrity in Thought and Action;

Teamwork Supported by a Family-Oriented Culture;

Relentless Commitment to Excellence

We feel that one of the more unique attributes of working at Hefren-Tillotson is not found in what we do; rather, it is found in the spirit of our company.

Our employees recognize the importance of the services we provide and feel a sense of purpose in the work we do.

We believe that this shared purpose among our employees is one of the main ingredients that create long-lasting friendships that rise above the working relationship of many co-workers. These friendships and relationships are one of the reasons we have been able to attract and retain so many outstanding people.

Although many factors contribute to the overall success of the firm, we have identified several which we believe are among the most important: opportunities for career development and growth; support for ongoing education; empowerment of employees; accessibility to senior management; recognition and rewards programs; community involvement; and reinforcement of the company's mission, vision and values.

Kim Tillotson Fleming is president of Hefren-Tillotson Inc., a money management concern that employs more than 100 Downtown and at offices in the South Hills, North Hills, Beaver and Butler. The Great Places to Work Institute, using a formula similar to the one Fortune Magazine uses to compile its list of the best 100 employers in the country, last year ranked Hefren-Tillotson as the best employer in Pennsylvania among 50 medium-sized companies.