Best Places To Work in Vermont--2006: Edward Jones

Vermont Business Magazine, Dec 01, 2006

2 Edward Jones

12555 Manchester Road * St. Louis, MO 63131-3729

www.edwardiones.com * est. 1922

James D. Weddle, CEO

Gross revenue, lastest fiscal year: $3,190,000,000 Employees - 55 full-time, 2 part-time Applicants lost year 458,169 notionally, Hires 7,231 Ave. annual salary - non-exempt $30,239, exempt $110,973

Edward Jones is the largest financial-services firm in the nation in terms of branch offices, with nearly 9,000 U.S. branch offices currently. Today, the firms serves more than 6 million clients offering a variety of investments including certificates of deposit, taxable and nontaxable bonds, stocks an mutual funds.

Best Practice: Long before e-mail and blogs became common, Edward Jones created the Suggestion Wire. Nineteen years ago, the Sugg Wire began to offer associates a completely confidential way to instantly communicate electronically with the home office. And they use it. During 2004, associates generated 29,218 suggestion wires. Associates not only let off steam, but they alert the firm to common issues. Top management at our company is only a mouse click away and Edward Jones encourages its associates and IRs to send in suggestions to all levels of management. In the battle to be the best, Edward Jones not-so-secret weapon is a well-educated work force. In 2004, the firm exceeded 3 million hours of training, including training for new associates and continuing education for existing associates. New IRs spend their first 17 weeks in full-time trianing, and BOAs train on the job for six months. On average, firm associates receive nearly 106 hours of training per associate per year. This figure does not include training conducted through professional organizations or during coaching and mentoring.