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It’s a family affair at Heritage Insurance Agency and not just because a husband-and-wife team run the firm.

Steve Mora, the principal and CEO, who runs the Chico, California-based agency along with his wife Kelly, principal and chief marketing officer, have created an atmosphere in which employees, even those new to the firm, say they feel they’re part of a family.

That atmosphere can include everything from hanging out together to taking time to learn more about one another to even having leaders step in to make tough phone calls to customers on behalf of an employee who’s having a low-energy day.

Being part of a family was a major theme from employees who nominated the firm for Insurance Journal’s 2024 Best Agencies to Work For award. Heritage took home Best Agency West – Bronze.

“As cliche as this sounds, Heritage really feels like a second home and not in the ‘I spend all my free time here’ way,” wrote one employee on a nominating form for the award. “Steve and Kelly truly care about us as if we were a family member, they continue to hire people with great personalities and expansive knowledge. The friendships that Heritage has brought me will be lifelong. Steve and Kelly are consistently open to helping us grow personally and professionally, providing us with plenty of learning opportunities.”

Another employee wrote that being at Heritage feels like “finding my forever job!”

“I feel like my voice is heard, my ideas are listened to, I feel appreciated for my hard work and I am compensated for it too! I don’t have a lot of family I am close to and honestly this place and the people I work for feel like home and family! I don’t know how they do so much for us and still make a profit, but they manage to do so very well. Working hard feels better when it’s appreciated, and I think that is the secret to their success!” the employee wrote.

The firm is small but growing, with 25 employees, an annual revenue of $3 million and specialties that include farm and agribusiness.

The family atmosphere they’ve fostered is part of the leadership’s ability to harness the diverse strengths that people bring to the workplace, according to Kelly Mora. “We believe in leveraging each member’s unique capabilities to foster a collaborative and dynamic approach to leadership,” she said.

Steve Mora said managers and employees spend a lot of time getting to know each other, how each person likes to work, how they think, how they learn best (flowcharts or shadowing), how they prefer to communicate. “It’s really meeting our team on their level,” he said. “It socially allows us to work much better together. We try to create intentional time and intentional space for doing more than just the technical, so we have a high level of trust with one another.”

That includes group lunches, volunteering at civic events in the community and a coed softball team. “You spend enough time together and you develop this level of respect, and it does feel like a family,” he said.

It also includes the rough days, such as when a manager may need to take over a difficult part of an employee’s job.

Steve said he has stepped in and made difficult calls to customers getting canceled or rate hikes on behalf of employees who may have had other difficult duties that day.

“We’re trying to be very mindful of the drain that that’s putting on them emotionally,” he said.

That mindset was echoed in Kelly’s advice to other firms that want to build a family environment and happy employees.

“Invest in your people. Build a culture that fosters growth, celebrates achievements, and supports one another during challenges,” she said.

“Encourage open communication and provide opportunities for professional development,” Kelly added. “Recognize and celebrate your team’s achievements, and always be open to feedback – it’s crucial to understand the evolving needs of your team,” she said.