This may be the 11th year in a row that Experian North America has beat out hundreds of nominated companies to land back on the list of Orange County Top Workplaces. But CEO Jennifer Schulz said that doesn’t make this year’s recognition any less sweet.
“I’m very proud of this honor,” said Schulz, who shepherds the credit report company’s North American operations from Costa Mesa headquarters. “It’s something that, especially for the Costa Mesa area team, we watch with bated breath.”
Schulz said Experian North America participates in the Top Workplaces contest each year because company leaders want feedback from their employees, which includes more than 1,000 people in Orange County and some 6,600 across the United States. She said they review every comment, using the anonymous insights to continually improve company culture.
“I like to say culture eats strategy,” Schulz said. So while she takes her work guiding company strategy seriously, she said the only way that strategy gets executed is to build a culture that makes workers want to stick around and give their best each day.
Based on comments employees submitted, her plan appears to be paying off.
“I get to do what I love for a company that I believe in,” one worker wrote. “I go the extra mile for Experian as a result.”
Here’s a look at how Schulz bakes that culture into her company.
Q: Last time you made this list, you were in your first year as CEO. What’s changed since then and how have you navigated those changes?
As I stepped into this role, there was a lot of ambiguity in the economic forecast.
In the second year, that ambiguity is there and then more so, right? You’ve got global conflicts happening. You have a mortgage rate that is at a 23-year high. And yet, consumers remain incredibly resilient. Our unemployment numbers are in good shape. And so you have a very mixed economic environment.
To help buffer that uncertainty for employees, Schulz said they’ve continued to offer competitive salaries, benefits and perks. They recently added paternity leave equal to maternity leave, for example. They’ve also increased wages for entry-level workers at a faster clip, she said, since she knows those folks feel the biggest strain when the price of gas and groceries spikes.
Those decisions, she said, have helped keep Experian North America from experiencing the same turnover as other companies in recent years.
Q: Since you’re still giving workers the option to work remotely, hybrid or in office, have you found a strategy that works to help all of those folks feel connected?
A: One strategy that Schulz said has been effective is their Culture & Connections onboarding program for new workers, who often now are welcomed to the job via a computer screen. The program lasts six months, with opportunities to connect with more seasoned staffers, learn about company practices and ask questions throughout.
Regular employee resource group meetings, holiday celebrations and charity events bring all workers together, too.
Shortly after she became CEO, Schulz also instituted monthly Coffee Chats. She jumps online from 7-9 a.m. to share updates and take questions from employees. She’s been shocked at how popular those chats have become, with thousands of people logging on.
During regular Town Hall meetings, Schulz also takes questions from employees. She doesn’t screen them. And if she doesn’t get to them all, she said her team follows up on each one via email.
Such steps are why employees cited feeling like they “have a voice” as something they love most about working at Experian North America.
“My manager encourages everyone, regardless of rank, to speak up,” one worker said. “Perspectives are considered and debated in a healthy way.”
Q: Sometimes it’s challenging for people working in data and technology to see how people are benefiting from the work they do. How do you help employees see that impact?
A: During Global Hackathon and product demo events, Schulz said employees get a chance to see how tools were developed and how they’re put to use. They’re also encouraged to continue innovating, with the focus always on the consumer.
But workers also get free access to Experian tools themselves, putting them to use to build their own credit and take charge of their financial lives. So she said they can see how these tools can help families firsthand.
“We work on great projects to help support our business and ultimately support the customers and their livelihoods,” one worker said. “It brings everything in full circle to see those we help.”
Experian North America
Founded: 1897
Headquarters: Costa Mesa
Industry: credit and finance
OC employees: 1,000
Website: experian.com
Quote: “We work on great projects to help support our business and ultimately support the customers and their livelihoods.” — Experian employee
