As an employee, you can't just set up a SIMPLE IRA - that is an employer sponsored plan, and presumably could be done at Edward Jones even more easily than a 401K.
So, given that you can't just choose your workplace retirement plans, if you want better choices, you need to influence the owner(s) / management to change plans. As a new employee, that may or may not be a can of worms you want to open right now.
Given the 3% match, and depending on your income, the 401K likely has to be really, really bad to make forgoing a logical choice. Come back when you have the 401K documents and know all of the options and fees, but assuming it isn't a "really, really bad" 401K, and merely a "bad" 401K, you might prioritize as follows:
1. 401K to get match
2. Pay off debt if that is your goal - if it is low-interest debt, a lot of people here would hang on to it as long as possible
3. Traditional or Roth IRA - that decision boils down to tax rate now vs. expected tax rate in the future - so the higher your income, the more you'd lean traditional on this
4. Seriously evaluate the 401K - might go back to this if it isn't too bad of a deal and your tax rate is high enough to make it worthwhile
5. Taxable investments