“AdvoCare’s culture is one of positivity and integrity. We are dedicated to collaboration across all functions.”
—Allison Cunningham, Senior Director, Human Resources
| Company / AdvoCare International Headquarters / Plano, Texas Number of Full-Time Employees / 355 Year Founded / 1993 |
What makes your company one of the best places to work in direct selling?
AdvoCare is a company dedicated to being “Advocates who Care.” Whether that is our Distributors and their customers or our corporate office, AdvoCare’s culture is one of positivity and integrity. We are dedicated to collaboration across functions.
What is your top priority when it comes to maintaining a great work environment?
Communication between managers, employees, and executives has helped provide a level confidence in leadership and loyalty among the employees. We also work hard to provide a positive and uplifting culture in every department.
What benefits do you offer to your employees?
AdvoCare provides short- and long-term disability, a comprehensive maternity/paternity/adoption leave policy, full health, dental and vision plans, life insurance, tuition and student loan reimbursement programs, wellness program, employee referral program, and a 100 percent match on our 401(k) up to the maximum $18,500!
What unique or unusual benefits do you also offer?
We strive to offer a competitive set of benefits for our employees. Recently AdvoCare has expanded our maternity leave policy paying 100 percent of the employee’s salary for 12 weeks, paternity leave paying 100 percent for 3 weeks, and adoption leave paying 100 percent for 12 weeks. Additionally, AdvoCare strives to help our employees meet financial goals for their future, offering a dollar for dollar match for 401(k) contributions up to the maximum $18,500.
How does your company celebrate a job well done?
On top of the annual review and bonus programs, AdvoCare also offers spot bonuses throughout the year when an employee is nominated for doing an exceptional job. We also have events throughout the year, such as our Crawfish Boil, Texas State Fair-themed Party, Halloween Costume Contest and our annual Thanksgiving Tenure Banquet.
How does your company support team members in their personal and professional development?
One of the things we are proud of offering would be our tuition and student loan reimbursement programs. Classes taken while employed with AdvoCare in accredited courses will be reimbursed a portion of the cost for semester hour. We recently collaborated with tuition.io and implemented a student loan payment program. Every employee who has enrolled with the program will receive a small stipend per month toward the repayment of those loans.
How does your company give back to the community?
In the last 10 years, we have given more than $1 million to food banks across the country, more than $1 million to help military members, veterans and their families and more than $1 million to support organizations focused on children in need. Just last year, AdvoCare donated almost $250,000 to the American Red Cross to address the devastating flooding in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico, and the wildfires in California. AdvoCare has also founded the AdvoCare Foundation, focused on a mission to help end the childhood obesity epidemic. Our goal is to give $1 million in grants by 2020 to partner organizations on the frontlines. It’s not just talk, it’s in our name—AdvoCare is a collection of amazing people dedicated to being advocates who care.
How do you develop and maintain trust between all levels of your company?
AdvoCare has worked very hard at cultivating transparency at all levels. We host quarterly town halls with our managers and bi-yearly town halls with every employee. These meetings include candid conversations on our financials, upcoming announcements and a time for Q&A with executive leadership. Additionally, our executives walk throughout the building frequently each month and says hello to every employee, giving people the opportunity to ask questions in a comfortable environment.
What is the single most fun day of the year at your company? Why?
Our Annual Thanksgiving Tenure Banquet seems to be a favorite with employees. We take time out of our day the week before Thanksgiving to sit down with our colleagues over lunch and honor those employees who have dedicated years to our company. It is often a day of reflection and a time to say thank you to everyone who makes our company great.
What is something new that you’ve added in 2018 to enhance your workplace?
We have added fresh markets in each building this past year and it seems to be a hit! The markets offer our employees fresh food options at a low price.
Best Places To Work In Direct Selling 2018 Honorees!
Pick up the April 2018 issue here in which this article appeared.
