Tag Archives: Kitchell careers

Kitchell ranked as one of the Healthiest Employers in America!

Kitchell is ranked #34 on the 2022 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America! This ranking is a testament to the wellness and benefits offerings we have to keep our employee-owners happy and healthy. The listing follows our status as a finalist for Healthiest Employer in the midsize category in The Business Journal of Phoenix.

Every year, Healthiest Employers® names the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America from regional applicants of various sizes, locations and industries. Healthiest Employers® surveys companies in 50 metropolitan markets across the country. Earlier this year, our HR team completed an exhaustive survey of employee well-being initiatives that included culture/leadership commitment, foundational components of our wellness plan, planning for future healthcare/wellness needs, communications, programming/interventions and reporting/analytics. The assessment was created, scored and benchmarked by representatives from all over the country in academia, medicine, HR, wellness and business communities.

“This award speaks volumes to employers’ investments in employee health beyond traditional physical wellness benefits,”  said Healthiest Employers Program Coordinator Haley Elmore.

The Healthiest Employers assessment is scored Rubric style on a 1-100 scale. The assessment comprises six categories of yes/no, multiple choice, and short answer questions, with each question totaling .25-3 points. The six categories are:

  • Culture and Leadership Commitment
  • Foundational Components
  • Strategic Planning
  • Communications and Marketing
  • Programming and Interventions
  • Reporting and Analytics

To qualify for the national award, applicants also are scored based on an additional section called “the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America,” which scores the applicant essays and asks additional questions related to chronic conditions and workplace health.

Want to learn how you can be part of Kitchell and our great benefits program? Check out our career opportunities!

Careers in Construction Month: Nate Abel went from managing claims to managing construction

When Senior Field Engineer Nate Abel decided to leave the insurance industry, he was in pursuit of a second career, not just a job. He had been with a national insurance provider for 15 years and although he used to get a lot of joy out of his job, decided that the industry and culture wasn’t a good fit anymore. He was looking for a place where he could stay for a long time and contribute, because one too many process improvements and Six Sigma initiatives left him feeling unvalued and miserable.

Knowing that Nate was a concrete foreman before going into insurance, Project Director Aron Kirch, whose son was on Nate’s baseball team, had long pushed Nate to consider Kitchell. Many of Nate’s responsibilities – working with contractor estimates, reconciling, scheduling repairs for homeowners, etc. – transfer well to the role he has today.

“I dealt with customers and conflict every day – passing on good news and bad,” said Nate. “You learn to communicate well with others and solve problems, which are competencies I use on the job every day.”

Nate came to Kitchell in March 2021 and worked on the NOAH Medical Office Building for Honor Health. Now he works on the Phoenix Children’s Hospital 10th and 11th floor build-outs, working with trade partners, scheduling trades, addressing safety, quality and generally keeping the job flowing.

“I love what I’m doing now,” he said. “I love building things and the people I work with. Employee ownership adds a whole other dimension. People treat it as if it’s their own and take pride in their work.”

Aron also convinced Nate by promoting the future possibilities.

“You can achieve whatever you want at Kitchell if you’re willing to work for it,” he said. “You’ll get paid what you’re worth, there’s career growth, development and the culture is great. We’re a midsize construction company but we don’t have a corporate feel – we still have that contractor, down-to-earth culture. The Sid Carlisles and Mike Kings of the world – they’ve swung the hammer and they’ve lived it, so when they talk about how special this place is – it adds a whole new layer of depth to it.”

“Only certain people get to walk through the gate with a hard hat, and it’s special. Not everyone gets that,” he added.

Clearly Nate is in his happy place, managing construction instead of claims. Who do you know who would be a good fit at Kitchell?

View open jobs at https://www.kitchell.com/careers/.