Edward Jones Ranks No. 2 on FORTUNE Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" List
The financial-services firm Edward Jones ranked No. 2 on FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For 2009" list in its 10th year on the prestigious list. Edward Jones also ranked No. 1 for large-sized companies. The full list and related stories appear in the February 2 issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands Jan. 26 and at www.fortune.com on Jan. 22.
Edward Jones' 10 FORTUNE rankings include top 10 finishes for seven years and consecutive No. 1 rankings in 2002 and 2003.
"We are delighted by this honor and feel especially proud because it is based largely upon associate feedback during these particularly challenging times," said Jim Weddle, managing partner of Edward Jones. "It indicates we are succeeding in our goal to make Edward Jones a career destination."
In naming Edward Jones to the list, FORTUNE editors say that despite the stock market collapse, the firm assured associates it had little to no exposure to high-risk mortgages or financial derivatives and no plans for layoffs. Edward Jones hired nearly 1,000 new financial advisors in 2008.
"It is gratifying to know that Edward Jones is a positive place to work and that it offers opportunity for our associates to grow, develop their talents and contribute," Weddle said. "As we all work together to help serve our clients – serious, long-term individual investors – we thank our associates for their contributions. They help make Edward Jones the unique firm that it is."
To pick the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” FORTUNE works with Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz of the Great Place to Work® Institute—a global research and consulting firm with offices in 30 countries—to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America.
More than 81,000 employees from 353 companies responded to the 57-question survey created by the Institute. Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the survey, which is sent to a minimum of 400 randomly selected employees. The remaining third is based on a company’s responses to the Culture Audit questionnaire, which asks detailed questions about demographics, pay and benefits, and open-ended questions on philosophy, communication and more.
The FORTUNE ranking is one of several important honors based on associate input that Edward Jones has received in recent weeks. In early December, the firm was ranked No. 1 in Registered Rep. magazine's annual brokerage report card for the 16th consecutive year. Last month, Edward Jones ranked No. 4 among the "50 Best Employers in Canada" in the Globe and Mail's annual listing in Report on Business Magazine. Over the past year, Edward Jones also has received workplace recognitions from dozens of state and provincial publications in the U.S. and Canada.
Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliates, in Canada and the United Kingdom. Every aspect of the firm’s business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm’s 10,000-plus financial advisors work directly with more than 7 million clients to understand their personal goals – from college savings to retirement – and create long-term investment strategies which emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.
Edward Jones is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. The firm's Web site is located at www.edwardjones.com and its recruiting Web site is www.careers.edwardjones.com.
