People are at the heart of every decision makes 鈥� even the decision to include 鈥楶eople鈥� in their was made by putting people first.

鈥淲e just finished updating our core values, and everyone was involved in the process 鈥� no matter their title or experience level. The entire staff took part in several facilitated workshops to provide feedback, and every person had the opportunity to make edits to the final draft before we made things official,鈥� says Shawn Fetter, an Associate Portfolio Manager at Alitis.

Many companies talk-the-talk of treating people right, but as customers and as employees, we鈥檝e all experienced companies that don鈥檛 walk-the-walk.

鈥淚 started my career at a large bank that talked about customer service a lot, but their actions and expectations still focused on sales. It took the humanity out of the business,鈥� says Aaron Robertson, Portfolio Manager and Head of Private Client at Alitis.

鈥淵es, Alitis is for-profit and we鈥檙e growing, but we grow by having solid, successful relationships with clients 鈥� not by focusing on sales quotas.鈥�

How Alitis Investment Counsel puts people first: 4 examples

1. Continuity: 鈥淥ne thing I鈥檓 proud of at Alitis is that if you call us, you actually get to talk to us. It鈥檚 not a 1-800 number with a long list of menu options that lead you to an answering machine,鈥� Fetter says. You have a primary contact at Alitis, as well as the support of the wider team. With a focus on relationships, you won鈥檛 have to re-explain yourself to someone new every time you call.
2. Collaboration: With a diverse team of specialists in all aspects of investing, Alitis Portfolio Managers have access to a wealth of support. 鈥淲e have monthly town hall meetings with the whole team and monthly learning seminars, on top of the more spur-of-the-moment meetings to problem-solve for a specific client or situation,鈥� Robertson says.
3. Growth: Alitis employees are encouraged to keep learning, growing and improving, and that鈥檚 backed by the company policy to pay for employee education and certifications. 鈥淲e also have access to informal mentoring,鈥� Fetter says. 鈥淚鈥檓 about 15 years into my career, so I can reach out to colleagues with over 30 years鈥� experience, and I also enjoy mentoring colleagues with less experience. That applies to specialists too 鈥� we鈥檙e able to leverage each person鈥檚 skill sets for the benefit of our clients.鈥�
4. Individuality: 鈥淲e share our strengths, celebrate our successes, and honour our differences,鈥� Robertson says. Recognizing and embracing the fact that no two clients are the same helps to foster empathy, innovation, and understanding.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a collective effort to keep coming back to our values 鈥� it鈥檚 something we work at every day,鈥� Robertson says. 鈥淧art of that is trust 鈥� each of us builds trust by performing well, meeting goals, and doing what鈥檚 right for our clients.鈥�

Find Alitis Investment Counsel in Campbell River at , in the Comox Valley at ., in Victoria at , and online at . For more information, call 250-287-4933 or email info@alitis.ca.