Pinnacle is the No. 1 Top Workplace in South Carolina Three Years Running

For the third year in a row, Pinnacle Financial Partners is the No. 1 Top Workplace in South Carolina in the medium-sized companies category. The latest list of South Carolina Top Workplaces was published this week in Greenville Business Magazine, Charleston Business Magazine and Columbia Business Monthly. This is fifth time Pinnacle has placed in the statewide competition, including two previous No. 1 wins and previous rankings of No. 5 in 2019 and No. 7 in 2020.

Matching the consistency of workplace award wins, Pinnacle associates in South Carolina consistently rank the firm very highly in its annual anonymous survey, particularly recognizing Pinnacle’s commitment to an exceptional culture, a dedication to fairness and transparent communication.

The culture cannot be overstated. The sense of engagement and empowerment to contribute to the firm’s success every day. The ability to wake up every morning and not dread coming to work. The transparency of the leadership team is also always appreciated.

The culture here is outstanding and unlike any other. It allows for friendships to form across the firm and camaraderie between offices and departments. It also helps create special bonds with clients.

The one thing I value the most about Pinnacle is the autonomy they give you to do your job. There is little to no red tape, and you have the freedom to help the client in any way you deem necessary.

I appreciate the transparency and teamwork that we have at this firm. We know from the top how individual contributions help the bottom line. And that teamwork shows at the local level as people work for the best outcomes for the firm and our clients.

Everyone is important, it doesn’t matter their position.

I’ve said for years that working at Pinnacle is truly “Banker Heaven” compared to where we all came from.

“With all the change we’ve been through as a country and an industry over the last several years, it’s never been more important to give our associates a solid and steady workplace to rely on,” said Mary Garcia, Pinnacle’s regional president on the South Carolina Coast. “It takes an intentional focus on culture and the complex systems that support our unique approach to business. Most of all, it takes a shared commitment and responsibility that our associates are only too happy to accept. This award is really for them. They’ve earned it.”

Pinnacle has won dozens of national and local workplace awards and has been recognized in nearly every market it serves. The firm was ranked No. 24 on the list of America’s 100 Best Companies to Work For and was named as one of the country’s top 10 Best Banks to Work For by American Banker, as well as the No. 2 Best Workplace for Women and No. 7 for Millennials.

“Putting so much focus on our work environment is the right thing to do, but it’s also a canny business decision,” said Will Hodge, Pinnacle’s area manager in Upstate South Carolina. “When our associates are happy, they stay here for the long term and give everything they’ve got to our clients. Happiness at work makes everything brighter and more enjoyable. It’s easy to notice when you want into a Pinnacle office, and more than 93 percent of our clients tell us that we are recognizably better than the competition.”

Rankings and awards from programs like Top Workplaces are a key way to measure whether Pinnacle is fulfilling its vision. While leaders conduct internal surveys every year, it’s important to see how the firm stacks up in independent, third-party programs like Top Workplaces.

The Top Workplaces list is based on anonymous employee surveys and research from Energage, a leading provider of employee engagement tools. The surveys measure several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, connection and more. Pinnacle’s survey was administered by Energage in January 2023, with more than 78 percent of the firm’s associates in the applicable markets responding.