Local Jobs

POSTED: Sunday, Apr. 13, 2008

Financial company keeps employees in the loop

Enjoy the challenge of a test?

Prospective employees at Saturna Capital Corporation in downtown Bellingham know they’ll be well-tested from the start.

Most positions with the investment-advising firm require two job interviews. When scheduled for a second interview, applicants take a computerized logic test, essentially an I.Q. assessment. And all hires need to pass a securities exam, with clerical staff taking a similar, but less extensive test.

“We think it’s important that everybody understands what we’re doing here,” says Chief Informing Officer Jane Carten, who has worked for Saturna Capital for 11 years. “Most say they’re happy about it. They’re interested in learning, so they’re all for it.”

Saturna created six new positions in 2007 and now has 42 employees. The transfer agency has grown the most, but all departments have expanded in the past few years. Turnover has been small: 3.8 percent in 2006 and 2.6 last year.

Carten expects the trends to continue while adding a note of caution.

“In the industry, we’ve seen some first-quarter hiring freezes with a downturn in the market and the scare of a recession,” she says. “But I wouldn’t say that we’d do that if we had an opening.”

The corporation on State Street was founded in 1989 by President Nick Kaiser, who for 14 years has operated Amana Growth, an ultra-successful fund consistent with Islamic principles. Those values prohibit investment in gambling, liquor and pornography businesses, among others.

"This product fits into a niche market,” Carten says, “and it’s our biggest product. It’s important that we have a workplace open to different cultures.”

All employees are based in Bellingham except for three sales representatives in New York, Chicago and the Virginia-Washington, D.C., area.

The work force, which has departments ranging up to six in number, includes analysts and portfolio managers, sales reps, operations personnel and administrative and clerical staff. Most positions require a four-year degree.

“We look for people with communication skills,” says Ethel Bartolome, the human resources director who has been with Saturna for eight years. “Our job is to reach out to customers, so communication is important, whether oral or written.”

Salaries range from $25,000 to $30,000 for entry level and up to six figures for some positions, depending on experience and job demands.

“We also do year-end bonuses,” Carten says, “compensating individuals for outstanding performances.”

Benefits and perks include:

• 401(k);

• Medical insurance paid 100 percent for employees, 50 percent for spouses and dependents;

• Charitable contribution match (to non-profit organizations) up to $2,500 a year;

• Tuition reimbursement for job-relevant courses;

• Annual stock options, after a year of employment;

• Free YMCA membership and free haircuts at an adjacent salon;

• One Friday off per month, after a year of employment.

The best approach to land a job at Saturna Capital?

Be communicative, show enthusiasm for the financial services industry and express specific interests in the company.

“We had one applicant come in,” says Bartolome, “and he told us what all our products were. He had done his research well, on the Internet.”