The prestigious recognition reflects Aera’s commitment to an inspiring company culture.

By Theresa Bush, Aera senior vice president, human resources

We were thrilled and honored to learn that Aera Energy was named to Forbes America’s prestigious 2019 Best Midsize Employers list.

Aera ranked #13 on this year’s list. And we placed second in our industry. (Read here for more on how Forbes determines its rankings and here for the Forbes list.)

To be known as one of the nation’s best places to work tells us we’re on the right track.

Why would those surveyed for the Forbes list rank Aera so high?

We believe it starts with the hearts and minds of our employees. We look for the brightest minds and boldest spirits that will live, and believe in, our company’s purpose, vision and values.

A key component of our vision is creating success for those we touch, which include our employees, contractors and the communities where we live and work. 

We have put a priority on creating an inspiring work environment that allows our employees to connect, grow and thrive. We are always thinking about our employee experience, seeking feedback from employees throughout our journey, which helps us identify areas where we can continuously improve our work experience.

How we do it

We believe in the power of connection at work and in our communities and providing meaningful work that has an impact. Our onboarding program, mentoring program and employee resource groups help our employees connect to the company and each other. We have a strong volunteerism program that allows our employees to connect to our communities. 

We believe in the power of personal growth and development, with a mindset of continuous learning and commitment to excellence to create success for those we touch. We provide challenging assignments that broaden our skills and knowledge. We provide educational assistance which allows our employees to continue their education. Our Aera Academy offers in-house learning solutions to develop technical and soft skills for success.

We believe in the power of being our best and whole self. We provide programs that allow our employees to thrive financially, physically and emotionally both inside and outside of work as we know employees come to work in order to live, certainly not the other way around.   

Here are just a few examples:

• Exceptional care for people and the environment. Our motto at Aera is simple: Every day, everybody goes home alive and well. We have an unwavering commitment to safety and protecting our environment.
• Competitive compensation and generous benefit programs, including an annual bonus program based on company and individual performance. Top-tier benefit programs include a pension plan and 401k, as well as medical and dental coverage where Aera pays 80% of health-insurance premiums for employees as well as eligible family members.
• Work-life integration programs and flexible work schedules. These allow employees to fit work into their life and life into their work. Employees can come back to work refreshed and recharged, to better themselves and get involved in their community. Aera offers alternative and flexible work schedules, such as the “9/80” and part-time.
• Generous leave programs, such as vacation time starting at four weeks in an employee’s first year.
• Continuing education or learning-leave, including education reimbursement, mentoring and conferences.
• Employee resource groups sharing common interests and goals. These support the business as well as networking and professional development for the employee. We have several resource groups that help develop and engage our employees as well as provide opportunities to support our community.
• Opportunities to make a difference in the community. Aera employees volunteer around 6,000 hours to local organizations each year. We help under-served communities and children. We participate in neighborhood clean-ups and work with food banks to feed the hungry. We’re actively engaged in school literacy and STEM programs to help educate and prepare the next generation of employees.
• Wellness programs to encourage an active, healthy lifestyle. We employ two on-site nurses. Each of our five locations has a fitness center and moms’ nursing rooms. We provide a bicycle-lending program. If an employee wants to quit smoking or lose weight, we offer help there too.
• Fun and celebration. Club Aera helps coordinate social events for employees to connect and learn about different topics and cultures while having a great time together. This year, Aera is coordinating a trip to Disneyland where the company is providing employees with two free tickets to the park along with discounted hotels nearby.

Everything we achieve at Aera is tied to our employee experience enabling our people to connect, grow and thrive. Aera’s commitment to our employees inspires them to bring their best and whole selves to work. It enables us to strengthen the communities where we live and work.

Providing a positive experience and worthwhile opportunities allows Aera to succeed. And it makes it possible for Aera to deliver the oil California needs. It’s a winning combination that benefits us all.

We are proud of Aera and proud to call California home.