Lofty goals, flawed business model - Anonymous employee Access Employee Review

Thank you for your comprehensive, in-depth and honest review of Access. I am glad you found the benefits “reasonable”, the incentive compensation package “nice” and the recently implemented 401(k) matching to be valuable. We have made significant efforts over the last year to improve these offerings to all of our team members. We are also taking the time and resolve to get a closer look at what’s working and what’s not at every location, either through concerted focus groups (we have talked to over 300 team members in over 15 locations in the last 45 days), town hall meetings and team member satisfaction surveys. Changes are underway. I wish I knew which branch you worked at as you have outlined many assertions in your review that I would like to address immediately. Many we are currently working on and are characteristic of a growing organization like Access, however, there are some items outlined here that simply are not accurate. First, any “borderline unethical practices” and lying to clients simply won’t be tolerated, at any level. If a team member is aware of any unethical practices taking place, I ask him or her – right now – to reach out to me directly, so I can immediately address it. Second, we do care about each and every team member and I personally care about each and every team member. It’s unfortunate that there was a delay in the construction of a break room at your branch, but please note it is something we are building as a result of the acquisition meaning it is something that prior ownership didn't do for its team members. We continually strive for a work environment (and, specifically, break rooms are an important part of the work environment) that can be appreciated by all team members. Also, while I can’t speak specifically about your compensation vs. your responsibilities (because I don’t know who you are or where you worked), we have evaluated compensation across the company we are making adjustments in markets and positions where warranted. Finally, we have an open door policy at Access, whereby we encourage our team members to bring any concerns or issues to the attention of management. Such concerns will always be treated fairly and no team member will be regarded or treated as troublemakers. The suggestions you make for management are well taken. For example, we realize that many of our managers need training and development opportunities to put them in a better position to serve their teams better. As a result, we are making significant investments in training and development. Finally, while our acquisition strategy will not slow down, we do realize that there are definite opportunities to improve work processes and integration efforts, which are things we get better at each and every time we do an acquisition. It is worth pointing out that growing organizations like Access (even if through acquisitions) provide more opportunity for team members, which is something that you note as a pro at Access. We remain committed to growing the organization and providing opportunities and creating value for our team members. Again, thank you for taking the time to provide us your feedback. I am disappointed and very sorry that your experience at Access did not meet your expectations.