Guild Mortgage Named 2020 Top Workplace in St. Louis
Leading Independent Mortgage Lender Recognized Based on Results of Employee Survey On Alignment, Engagement, Leadership and Performance
St. Louis, MO – Guild Mortgage, which is celebrating its 60th year in the mortgage industry, has been named a 2020 Top Workplace by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Now in its ninth year, the Top Workplaces Program honors companies that have outstanding workplace culture and collaborative business environments. The rankings are based on the results of a survey of employees administered by Philadelphia-based Energage, LLC, a research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement.
“We’re pleased to be recognized as a Top Workplace in the greater St. Louis area for the ninth year in a row,” said Mary Ann McGarry, Guild’s CEO. “We place tremendous value in feedback from our people and always look forward to these results. Employee surveys are especially significant this year given the unprecedented challenges we’ve faced as a nation and the need to adjust daily operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re happy to see the positive response from our branches in the Midwest.”
Guild Mortgage, which currently employs 216 people in its Midwest region, including 119 people in the greater St. Louis area, was ranked No. 10 in the midsize company category in this year’s rankings. A total of 201 regional employees from 16 branches were invited to participate in the workplace survey process.
“Guild has a team-oriented environment which allows us to close more loans for our customers, but it also provides our employees with the tools and support they need to thrive,” said Angi Stevenson, Midwest regional vice president with Guild. “Through the constantly changing market and the transition to working from home, we’ve been continually impressed by our employees’ perseverance and positive attitudes. We’re fortunate to have such a fantastic team and want to thank all of our people for their hard work this year.”
Guild entered the market in early 2018 when it purchased certain assets of Cornerstone Mortgage, Inc., expanding its presence in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. Cornerstone Mortgage, which now operates as Guild’s Midwest Region, is the only mortgage lender to earn the Top Workplace distinction from the Post-Dispatch every year since the rankings began in 2012.
The Post-Dispatch recognized 140 employers as Top Workplaces for 2020 based on survey responses from more than 28,700 people. The survey provided feedback to management on process improvement strategies and focused on matters relating to workplace culture, including alignment, coaching, connection, engagement, leadership and performance. The winners range from small businesses to some of the region’s largest organizations.
“In times of great change, it is more important than ever to maintain a connection among employees,” said Eric Rubino, CEO at Energage, which administers Top Workplace surveys in major markets across the country. “When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward based on real-time insights into what works best for your organization.”
Headquartered in San Diego, Guild Mortgage has more than 4,000 employees with 222 retail branches in 30 states. Missouri was among the company’s fastest-growing states in the first half of 2020, reporting total loan volume of $567.6 million through June 30, 2020. That total was up 95% from $291.0 million in the first half of 2019.
A top-10 national lender by purchase loan volume, Guild specializes in developing unique pilot programs and niche products to help deliver the promise of home in every neighborhood and community it serves for 60 years. Its loan professionals can serve the needs of any homebuyer, from helping first-time buyers achieve homeownership, often through government loan programs, to homebuyers looking to upgrade with a jumbo loan. Guild also specializes in helping active duty and retired military personnel to secure VA loans, with 100 percent financing and flexible qualifying standards. The company is consistently recognized for its impact in the communities it serves, commitment to customer service, strength in regulatory compliance and workplace culture.