Biz Buzz: Commonwealth Financial Network

The economy is tough, to say the least. Workers are fearing job losses throughout the region. At Waltham-based Commonwealth Financial Network, the company is taking steps to reassure its staff and to develop its employees.

After being named one of the Globe 100 Top Places to Work in 2008, the investment broker company is adding a "peer to peer" mentoring program and creating a new "Ambassador program" at the company.

"(The Ambassador Program) is a team of almost 50 experienced employees—at least one from each department—available to share a typical day in the life of that department to inquiring employees,'' the company said in a release. "Staff members are encouraged to reach out to Ambassadors for answers to questions about a department’s day-to-day operations and about positions in that department, as well as how the department fits into the rest of the organization.''

In addition, the company plans more on site training classes for professional development.

"Commonwealth will approach 2009 as a year to refocus its attention on its core values—and engaging our employees, fostering their growth, and keeping them motivated through Professional Development are just a few of the ways we’ll be strengthening our core,'' the company said.

In these anxiety producing times, executives recently took the step of reassuring employees that layoffs were not imminent. Commonwealth employs about 400 people at its Waltham location and another 50 or so in San Diego.

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