Building a Culture
When Victor Ciardelli founded Guaranteed Rate, he didn’t just set out to create a different type of mortgage company – he also sought to build a fun company culture that rewards employees for their hard work.
It starts with Guaranteed Rate’s corporate headquarters. Housed in a restored timber loft in a tree-lined neighborhood on Chicago’s north side, the facility features a number of great amenities for employees, including an on-site fitness center with weight machines, treadmills and private instruction courses.
There’s also an on-site nurse practitioner available free of charge to help promote wellness, and employees can receive free monthly massages. Guaranteed Rate’s corporate chefs serve up low-cost, healthy, freshly-prepared meals daily in the facility’s café, which was named one of the nation”s “Top Employee Food Perks” by Thrillist.com and then there is the roof deck – fully appointed with stunning views of the Chicago skyline, it’s the perfect place for employees to hold a meeting, eat lunch, or just get a few minutes of fresh air. (And not just in the summer months – Guaranteed Rate hosts a holiday gathering on the deck each year for employees and their children with hot chocolate, music and a visit from Santa!)
Victor always has believed in saying thank you to the people who have made the company successful, so in addition to the great amenities and benefits, employees companywide are treated to a free lunch when a corporate milestone is met. During the holidays, all employees receive a free turkey and rock out at a fabulous holiday party at the House of Blues. And the company toasts the end of a long Chicago winter with a picnic on the roof deck on the first warm April Friday.
The company’s top loan originators are also invited to become a part of the President’s Club, which includes an expenses-paid trip to a Caribbean destination each spring. And every winter, the company hosts “GR-Palooza” for its referral partners and loan originators, a night of fun featuring national musical acts at Chicago’s Park West Theatre.
