Star Tribune Names IC Systems a 2018 Top Workplace in Minnesota

As corporate culture constantly shifts in order to stay on pace with the changing social landscape, implementing workplace policies that improve workplace development, business practices, and employee work-life balance is a difficult task for any company. Receiving accolades that recognize success in achieving this tremendously difficult task is a badge of honor for any company. Being recognized as a vanguard for progressive workplace policies is a highly sought after merit that separates competitors within industries in being able to attract premiere talent as new hires. Workplace culture is also imperative to maintaining a long tenured, loyal workforce who are a reflection of a companies ideals, philosophies, and ongoing mission.

Each year, the StarTribune names its top 150 workplaces in Minnesota as part of an ongoing initiative to recognize employers who reinvest in their employees best interests. As it did in 2017, the publication once again singled out IC Systems by naming them to the 2018 edition of this list. Ranking 33rd among mid-size companies, the accounts receivable company is a notable addition to the list for a myriad of reasons. The StarTribune's rankings were based upon a composite score calculated entirely on the basis of responses from over 71,000 employees from 2,400 of Minnesota based private and public corporations as well as non-profit organizations with a workforce exceeding 50 employees. This methodology offers the publication real insight into workplace culture by providing employees a confidential opportunity to express their feelings on the importance their employers place on their well-being.

"It's an honor to be named by the Star Tribune as a Top 150 Workplace in Minnesota. Our company strives to create a fun, inviting, and rewarding place to work. For that reason, we place People at the top of our list of Core Values. I'm proud that our employees like working here. We take great pride in creating a positive work environment for our team.” said John Erickson, Jr., the company's President and CEO, following his companies inclusion on the list for the second straight year, cementing its standard of valuing its employees in respect to the values his grandparents laid as the foundation for the company upon its founding in 1938.

Read on to learn more about IC Systems workplace culture, philosophies, and some of the reasons the company was selected for the honor. The lessons offered by companies like IC Systems provide companies a way to better understand how to implement these measures to optimize the impact that employee satisfaction can have on workplace productivity.

Company History

Before taking a look at IC Systems in its present-day operations, it's helpful to take a look at its history for some context on how it came to be. Founded by Ruth and Jack Erickson in 1938, the company has remained a family-run operation for 80 years. Now in the third generation of family leadership, the values upon which the company was founded are still alive and well as carried on by current CEO John Erickson, Jr. These values, which focus on ethical and honest treatment of clients and consumers alike, have helped guide the company's actions through the many phases of its growth. At their core, the company operates under the pretense that its employees and clients are valued like they are part of the family.

The company's commitment to its founding philosophies has had a profound effect on how the executives treat their employees. With its core values at the heart of its practices, the company places emphasis on five primary focuses: people, integrity, performance, pride, and innovation. These values play an important role in shaping the office culture at the company. In an effort to promote these ideals, the company honors employees with core values awards for exemplifying the values upon which the system was founded.

In part due to the aforementioned values, the Star Tribune recently announced that it would include the company on its annual list of top workplaces. Consideration for the list requires that a company have over fifty employees in Minnesota, and is based on feedback from employees across the state. This year, over 2,400 companies were asked to participate, and the resulting list was compiled from the responses of over 71,000 employees. Opinions measured aspects of work experience such as satisfaction, engagement, and organizational health.

Inclusion on the list of companies is an exclusive honor bestowed only to those companies that meet the highest standards for employee satisfaction. When commenting on the rankings, Star Tribune publisher, Michael J. Klingensmith, reiterated the noteworthiness of a company's inclusion on the list. He said that "the companies in the Star Tribune Top 150 Workplaces deserve high praise for creating the very best work environments in the state of Minnesota."

After he learned of IC Systems' inclusion on the list for the second year in a row, company CEO John Erickson, Jr. was effusive in his praise for the Star Tribune and for the workplace culture that has evolved at his company over the years. "It's an honor to be named by the Star Tribune as a Top 150 Workplace in Minnesota," said Erickson. "Our company strives to create a fun, inviting, and rewarding place to work. For that reason, we place 'people' at the top of our list of core values. I'm proud that our employees like working here. We take great pride in creating a positive work environment for our team."

Workplace Culture

When taking a closer look at the IC Systems workplace, details begin to emerge that point to some of the reasons why employees feel so content (Glassdoor). IC Systems ability to maintain employee morale within the family owned business is especially impressive considering it balancing employee relations with the inseparable component of being a privately, family owned company. One key consideration is employee participation in workplace events. This participation helps relieve stress in the office and rewards hard work. Past events have included paper airplane competitions, tricycle races, and athletic contests. The company also hosts numerous food-themed events to give employees a break from their duties and enjoy some refreshments.

October of 2018 marked IC Systems' 80thyear in business. To celebrate the anniversary, the company dedicated the month to reflect its appreciation for its staff of hundreds of employees. Catered lunches, a gift give-away, and e companies annual Halloween costume contest will place extra emphasis on the company's mission to give back to its staff. CEO John Erickson, Jr. expressed the esteem his company places on its workers saying “ I think we’ve lasted this long because we treat our employees like family, and what better way to celebrate a birthday, than with family.”

By cultivating an environment that offers a sense of belonging to its workers, comradery acts as a foundation for improved relations between colleagues, ultimately leading to greater productivity which reflects the company's ideals to its nationwide clientele of original creditors seeking to implement effective recovery solutions for outstanding debts.

A symbolic representation of IC Systems' workplace unity is conveyed by its Employee Charitable Help Organization. Comprised of many of its dedicated employees, IC Systems' charitable wing plans and organizes fundraisers and other charitable endeavors benefiting communities across the Twin Cities. The Employee Charitable Help Organization's annual 5k fundraiser is a testament to the companies loyalty and appreciation for its Minnesotan roots. The 2018 edition of the 5k fundraiser will commemorate the company's October 25thbirthday through the slogan “This Race is a Piece of Cake”, a demonstration of the staff's continued commitment to being a pillar in its community and role model to start up businesses trying to mold their own operations designed for long term success. Past efforts have included quilt drives, sponsored races, and volunteer days. The company also contributes to a number of external organizations, such as Ronald McDonald House Charities, the American Red Cross, and St. Jude Children's Hospital to name a few. By supporting employees in their efforts to help their community, the company is not only helping to promote such efforts, but is also working to support the overall workplace satisfaction of those on staff.

Skill Development

Another key component of workplace satisfaction is the acknowledgment of a job well done. The company supports employees in their workplace efforts by providing a host of trainings aimed at allowing staff members to excel in their roles. As the standard for recovery services for original creditors nationwide, IC Systems prides itself on developing a staff whose expertise is at the forefront of the collections industry. Continuing professional education programs such as IC Systems Main Street Recovery Services Division allows its staff to be up to date on newly reformed compliance policies and laws governing the company's practices. Training employees on the intricacies of these standards is integral to providing client services tailor made for the unique situations faced by clients. By committing to employees professional growth, the relationship between staff and management is nurtured to work as a team toward collective goals. In addition to these efforts, the company regularly gives feedback on work completed by employees in order to assist them in becoming better able to tend to their responsibilities. By ensuring that all employees are equipped with the skills and support needed to do their jobs effectively, the company is working to maintain a high level of satisfaction among employees who feel valued in their pursuits.

Balancing a humble, community centered hasn't limited the company from becoming a nation powerhouse within its market. IC Systems is nationally licensed and bonded to do business across all 50 states. Providing employees with the opportunity to interface with clients from across the country further cultivates their prowess while networking them with influential companies across the country whose financial needs are invaluable learning experiences for a staff that has become the benchmark by which competitors measure their success against.

Client Appreciation for Company Culture

IC Systems offers an unparalleled standard of commitment for client service. Every bit of training and investment into developing an expert workforce ultimately translates to client satisfaction. Optimal accessibility to account service resources allows clients to be engaged in the collections process for each of their accounts. IC Systems client portal creates an interface in which KPI updates, Special Activity Reports, and other online tools are at the tips of clients fingertips. These tools also allow employees to have real time updates into their accounts in order to effectively manage collection efforts. Real time data enables staff to be up to date on accounts so that they can optimize strategies as their clients needs change. The complexity of collections efforts requires employees to be adept at navigating the unpredictable journey of recovering past-due balances for their clients while mitigating the innate potential for loss faced by clients within this industry. Providing workers with state of the art enterprise resources programs sets them up for success which ultimately sustains relationships between account managers and clients.

Partnerships with companies like Sikka Software Corporation extend the diversity of client focused offerings. The software partner will offer a new practice management app to aid existing and future dental clients with access to innovative business intelligence optimized for small businesses within the healthcare industry. By making accounts receivable management workflow tools that increase efficiency.

Partnering with industry leaders like the Sikka Software Corporation is another instance of IC systems providing its employees with innovating technologies aimed at improving their ability to meet the standard of client service that the company has taken 80 years to perfect.

Accountability in Leadership

Like any family system, a high standard of quality among leadership is a great indicator of the authenticity of a company's commitment to improving its workplace. IC Systems ability to succeed in implementing policies and practices aimed at valuing their employees is epitomized by the recognition of its executive leadership in reaching those goals. In addition to being named to the StarTribune's list of top workplaces, IC Systems CFO and Executive Vice President Kurt Heinbigner was awarded the honor of Outstanding Financial Executive in the Twin Cities by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Being bestowed this honor conveys the dedication that IC Systems leadership has to improving its company's standards by constantly evolving. “I am extremely honored to receive this distinction,” said Heinbigner. “I am also grateful to the Erickson family, the owners and operators of IC System, for giving me the opportunity over these last 18 years to play such an integral role in developing the business and culture of IC System. This is an extremely proud moment.”

Across eight decades, IC Systems has adapted in part because of prudent decisions made at in leadership positions like Heinbigner's. The CFO and Executive Vice President has been a mainstay of the collections conglomerate since he joined the Minneapolis based company in 2000 after holding previous senior management roles at a large national healthcare provider and national consumer products manufacturer. Heinbigners present roles are crucial to oversight of IC Systems accounting, analytics, human resources, internal audit, marketing, procurement, and financial plannings. Heinbigners involvement across these broad and far reaching facets of the businesses' operations shows how integral his role is to the companies standing as an industry leader in recovery services. Mark Reilly, Managing Editor of the Business Journal reflected the impact of Heinbigner's role “CFOs are a crucial part of a company’s leadership team, but they often labor in relative obscurity outside their offices.”

Throughout its 80 years in business, 2018 and the years to come mark a new era for the company as it hopes to continue its tradition of succeeding in serving its clients without making an sacrifices to the appreciation of their workforce. With nonfinancial private debt in the United States exceeding 27 trillion dollars, finding a partner in collections processing for accounts receivable services is a key task facing any corporation as the risk for incurring debt is seemingly inevitable.

Maintaining a Standard of Success

By cultivating sincerely caring appreciation for its employers, the outlook for IC Systems is positive as it looks forward to another year in business. Despite being 80 years old the company has shown its ability to be innovative without losing the legacy forced by its founders all those years ago. The companies progressive policies have seen it accomplish achievements that even newly founded business have not met. By naming female CEO's in 1952 and 1995, the Minnesota corporation continues its forward thinking approach by illustrating its appreciation for its workforce. IC Systemsemphasis on its professional responsibility in appreciating employee wellness is an example of its ability to maintain its success midst drastic shifts in corporate culture.

Inclusion on the Star Tribune's in Minnesota is a noteworthy event for any company, but for companies who have made the list in years past, it is an especially poignant validation of efforts to create a satisfying office environment. For IC Systems, a company that has prioritized employee well-being throughout its long history, inclusion on this year's list is a reminder to maintain its commitment to the ideals upon which it was founded. For companies looking to improve the satisfaction of their own employees, IC Systems provides a worthy example of what it takes to create a culture that is productive, fulfilling, and supportive for all involved.

More about IC Systems at

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/star-tribune-names-ic-system-a-2018-top-150-workplace-300672534.html?tc=eml_cleartime