Employers of Choice - 4imprint Learning Centerlack of employee engagement will cost business upwards...

4imprint.com

Employers of Choice

© 2013 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved

Become an employer of choice: A cure for the workforce blues

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

—Confucius

Forget about the flu, employee dissatisfaction is a bigger epidemic infiltrating

the workforce. In fact, some are calling it a crisis, since research shows that over

half of U.S. workers hate their job.1 Put bluntly, that means if you ask half of

the population if they like their work, there’s a 50 percent chance they’ll say no.

Other research shows that only 3 in 10 workers are happy in their jobs.2

Exactly how bad is the outbreak of employee dissatisfaction? According to the

2013 State of the American Workplace report from Gallup®, 70 percent of workers

are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their jobs.3 In a similar

survey from Right Management Consultants®, 84 percent of employees reported

feeling trapped in their job and want to find a new position elsewhere.4 Even

more discouraging is the fact that despite the attention companies have given to

employee engagement and satisfaction programs, this number hasn’t changed

much since Gallup and others started asking these questions two decades ago.

What do unhappy employees cost your organization? Research shows that

lack of employee engagement will cost business upwards of $300 billion in

2013.5 Other research shows the lack of productivity that results from employee

disengagement is about $550 billion annually.6 And, when an employee leaves,

it costs an average of one fifth of the employee’s salary to find a replacement,

and that does not include the loss in productivity. Add that to the fact that

approximately 2 million Americans quit their jobs every month, and you’ll start to

grasp the impact of this virus in the workplace.

No doubt you’ve seen the FORTUNE® 100 Best Companies to Work For® list. But

did you know that there’s a defined return on investment (ROI) on investing in a

1 Crowley, Mark C. “How SAS Became The World’s Best Place To Work.” Fast Company. N.p., 22 Jan. 2013. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://www.fastcompany.com/3004953/how-sas-became-worlds-best-place-work>.

2 Crowley, Mark C. “Why Companies Are (Finally) Falling All Over Each Other To Become Best Places To Work.” Fast Company. N.p., 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://www.fastcompany.com/3015323/why-companies-are-finally-falling-all-over-each-other-to-become-best-places-to-work>.

3 Vanderkam, Laura. “Do Your Employees Really Love You?” Fast Company. N.p., 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://www.fastcompany.com/3015826/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/do-your-employees-really-love-you>.

4 “Surveyed Workers Confide They Feel Trapped in Job - Right Management.” Right Management: Manpower Group. N.p., 23 July 2013. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://www.right.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2013-press-releases/item25360.aspx>.


6 Davis, Kathleen. “The Real Cost of Unhappy Employees.” Entrepreneur. N.p., 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. <http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228039>.


high-trust workplace culture? According to Great Place to Work® Institute, which

works with Fortune to develop the list, after conducting 30 years of research in 40

countries, great workplaces enjoy significantly lower turnover and better financial

performance than industry peers.7 There are additional benefits, too. Companies

that make the list report industry-specific benefits, including reduced shrinkage,

improved track records on safety, higher patient satisfaction, better quality job

applicants and more.

In a way, the remedy is in the hands of your organization. Become an employer

of choice and you’ll cure disengagement and dissatisfaction among your

workforce. It might be a tough pill to swallow, but companies that have happy

employees are more productive and profitable. They attract and retain talented

employees, and that not only saves money on recruiting and hiring costs, but it

helps grow the bottom line. In fact, companies with engaged workers have six

percent higher net profit margins and five times higher shareholder returns.8

If you’re looking for a company that epitomizes employee health and prosperity,

look no further than the business analytics leader SAS®. SAS has made the list

every year since it appeared in 1998, and has been on the top 10 list for the past

ten years. In 2013, it was even named the world’s best multinational workplace.

According to CEO Jim Goodnight, “our ability to attract and keep creative

employees directly contributes to SAS’ consistent revenue growth, profitability

and industry-leading products and solutions.”9 As the organization noted in

a press release this year, the organization believes that a happy and healthy

workforce drives the innovation that supports SAS’ leadership.10 The SAS business

model is simple: Satisfied employees create satisfied customers.

If you look at SAS’ corporate performance, it’s easy to see that a healthy

workforce is lucrative. In fact, SAS has produced record profits for 37 consecutive

years. In addition, the company has an extraordinarily low annual turnover rate

of just three percent, compared to an industry average of 22 percent. SAS receives

100 applications for every open position, and as a result, the company is able to

hire and keep the best people. The company attributes its profitable history to an

emphasis on trust, generosity and work-life balance.11 Instead of spending money

on headhunters, training and restoring lost productivity, SAS uses funds to further

enhance the work-life experience of employees.12

7 “The ROI on Workplace Culture.” Benefits of Great Workplace Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. <http://www.greatplacetowork.com/our-approach/what-are-the-benefits-great-workplaces>.

8 “Kevin Kruse Blog.” Web log post. Employee Engagement 2.0 Book. N.p., 9 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://kevinkruse.com/employee-engagement-20-book/>.

9 SAS Ranks No. 2 on 2013 FORTUNE List of Best Companies to Work For in the US. SAS. N.p., 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. <http://www.sas.com/news/preleases/great-workplace-US-Fortune-2013.html>.

10 Ibid.11 Crowley, Mark C. “Why Companies Are (Finally) Falling All Over Each Other To Become Best Places To Work.”

Fast Company. N.p., 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://www.fastcompany.com/3015323/why-companies-are-finally-falling-all-over-each-other-to-become-best-places-to-work>.



So, how can your company become the one employees vie to work for? Is there

a vaccine that can help keep your employees happy and engaged? This Blue

Paper® looks at how companies are adapting the workplace to keep employees

engaged and productive. Consider it your prescription for change, but the only

side effect is happy and productive employees that will help improve

performance and profits.

Ins ide an employer of choice

“ A great place to work is one in which you trust the people you work for, have

pride in what you do, and enjoy the people you work with.”

—Robert Levering, Co-Founder, Great Place to Work Institute

Every year, two leading organizations, Fortune and Glassdoor®, award companies

who rank as employers of choice. Fortune publishes the Best Places to Work For

list, with the help of Great Place to Work Institute, and looks at a variety of things

that make a company a great place to work. Specifically, the list defines a great

workplace as one where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in

the work they do, and enjoy the people they work with. It evaluates relationships

between employees and managers in areas like credibility, respect, fairness, pride

and camaraderie. The rankings are divided into categories depending on the size

of an organization. In 2013, the top five honors in the large company category

went to Google®, SAS, CHG Healthcare Services®, Boston Consulting Group® and

Wegmans® Food Markets. You can view the full list complete with corporate

summaries online. Companies that are featured on the Best Companies list have

the highest levels of trust, strongest evidence of employee engagement, and

demonstrate the best applied management practices and programs.

Similarly, Glassdoor, an online jobs and career community, publishes a Best

Places to Work list that recognizes the top 50 companies based solely on

employee input. Rankings are determined using an anonymous employee

feedback survey that captures employee feelings on career opportunities,

compensation and benefits, work-life balance and senior leadership.

According to Glassdoor, the top five best places to work are Facebook®,

McKinsey & Company®, Riverbed Technology, Bain & Company® and the MD

Anderson Cancer Center®. Although the top five lists from these two surveys

vary, there’s a lot of overlap. For example, Google ranks 6th on the Best

Places to Work list, while Boston Consulting Group placed 10th.

What are some of the things these companies do to get on these lists? In short,

they promote trust, a work-life balance and an atmosphere where employees

feel valued. They focus on building employee morale and are innovative in how


they attract and retain employees. They emphasize things like collaboration

and cooperation, and all the warm and fuzzy things that most companies aren’t

good at communicating. But before we outline the dosage for the best company

protocol, let’s indulge in an exploration of some of the extras that are provided at

companies that made the list.

Google is a good place to start. Not only does the company provide perks and

benefits, but it also works hard to promote a positive work-life balance. If you

work at Google, you have access to three wellness centers and a seven-acre sports

complex, which includes a roller hockey rink, courts for basketball, bocce, shuffle

ball and horseshoe pits.13 How about a free massage? The company provided

100,000 hours of subsidized massages to employees in 2012. And the perks don’t

stop there. Employees have free access to whatever is in the overflowing food

pantries or cafeterias. In order to encourage employees to pursue professional

interests, Google allows employees to devote up to 20 percent of their workweek

to a project of their choice. In addition, each Friday, company leaders (including

Google’s co-founders) conduct employee forums and respond to the top 20 most-

asked questions.14 With extras like these, it’s no wonder that Google has been on

the top listings for the past six years, and counting.

Facebook is another company that provides unique benefits designed to help

employees balance work with their personal lives. Some of these include free

food and transportation, $4,000 in cash for new parents, dry cleaning, day care

reimbursement and onsite photo processing. Employees also take pride in their

work, and cite that the opportunity to impact a billion people contributes to a

high level of satisfaction. According to Lori Goler, Facebook’s vice president of

people and recruiting, “We strive to make Facebook a place where everyone is

able to have an impact doing what they love.”15

Work-life balance is a persistent theme at employers of choice. At Boston

Consulting group, if you are working too much you’re issued “red zone report.”

The idea is to discourage employees from putting in too many hours to promote

a greater work-life balance. The company also lets new consultants delay their

start date by six months, and gives them $10,000 to volunteer at a nonprofit.16

This is a way to encourage employees to pursue their passion and interests

outside of the workplace.

13 “Google.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2013/snapshots/1.html?iid=bc_sp_list>.

14 Loosvelt, Derek. “Why Google’s a Great Place to Work and Your Company Isn’t.” Vault.com. N.p., 26 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Sept. 2013. <http://www.vault.com/blog/salary-and-benefits/why-googles-a-great-place-to-work-and-your-company-isnt/>.

15 Smith, Jacquelyn. “The Best Companies To Work For In 2013.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/12/12/the-best-companies-to-work-for-in-2013/>.

16 “The Boston Consulting Group.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. <http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2013/snapshots/4.html?iid=bc_lp_arrow1>.


It’s clear that companies that make these lists work hard to foster a fun

working environment, too. For instance, the medical staffing firm CHG

Healthcare Services offers talent shows, trivia contests and activities like Dress

As Your Favorite President competition. How would you feel about a pub

at work? ADG Creative, a communications agency in Maryland, encourages

creativity and communication by having a pub, complete with beer taps, in

the middle of the office. There’s also a weekly staff breakfast on Mondays and

a happy hour every Friday that ends by 4pm. Yet there’s actually a method to

what sounds like madness. According to Jeff Antkowiak, ADG’s chief creative

officer: “People act fundamentally different at a conference table than they do

in a pub environment.” The idea is to promote low pressure communication so

that employees chat on a regular basis.17

The list of perks and benefits is endless. Some companies provide additional time

off, like every second Friday. Others let employees bring pets to work or provide

free pet or child care. Not surprisingly, Starbucks® issues free coffee to take

home each week to every employee. Meanwhile, SAS stocks the employee’s four

cafeterias with produce from an onsite organic farm.

However, don’t be fooled by the list of killer perks and benefits, because

becoming an employer of choice isn’t just about providing fun activities and

food; it’s a calculated management decision. Ask any of the top companies

about why their company made the list, and they will say it’s not about the

benies; it’s about fostering a culture that is built on trust and collaboration. It’s

about making employees feel valued and appreciated, and that takes a lot more

than just filling the cafeteria with free organic food. In fact, companies like

Google adopt defined business strategies and invest tens of millions of dollars

every year to keep employees happy.18 At Facebook, employees have a strong

level of trust in their Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, and cite that as a driver

of employee satisfaction.19

According to Fast Company®, employers of choice work develop strategies that

show employees they are valued and foster trust.20 Amy Lyman, co-founder of

Great Place to Work Institute, echoed this sentiment in her recently authored

book “The Trustworthy Leader: Leveraging the Power of Trust to Transform

17 Vanderkam, Laura. “Do Your Employees Really Love You?” Fast Company. N.p., 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.fastcompany.com/3015826/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/do-your-employees-really-love-you>.

18 Loosvelt, Derek. “Why Google’s a Great Place to Work and Your Company Isn’t.” Vault.com. N.p., 26 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://www.vault.com/blog/salary-and-benefits/why-googles-a-great-place-to-work-and-your-company-isnt/>.

19 Smith, Jacquelyn. “The Best Companies To Work For In 2013.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/12/12/the-best-companies-to-work-for-in-2013/>.



Your Organization.” According to Lyman, employee trust and engagement is

the number one factor that makes a company desirable.21 And this is the part

that’s a challenge, because you can’t simply give employees a dose of trust; it’s

something that is earned and built over time. It also takes a financial and personal

investment, and like any other strategy in your organization, it takes commitment

and leadership.

The prescr ipt ion for trust

“ It’s not just about the perks and the benefits; you have to look at the entire

value proposition.”

—Jennifer Mann, VP of Human Resources, SAS

As noted, in order to make the cut on any of the best places to work lists,

companies have to demonstrate that they cultivate employee trust, camaraderie

and pride. The following diagram (Figure 1.) shows the basic elements that help

identify a best place to work on the Fortune list. As shown, companies that top

the list are rated on credibility, fairness and respect. Each of these elements are

evaluated in the relationships between employees and managers. The best places

to work are also assessed on how an employee feels about his or her job and the

value it provides to the organization.

Figure 1. Great Place to Work and Fortune best place to work model22

21 Blaszczyk,, Connie. “Is Your Company a Great Place to Work?” Monster.com, n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/workforce-management/improving-employee-relations/great-place-to-work.aspx>.

22 http://www.greatplacetowork.com/our-approach/what-is-a-great-workplace


As shown, at the heart of the model is trust. Indeed, trust is the factor that

employees consistently rate as the most important element to job satisfaction and

performance. Research consistently centers on the concept of trust as the most

valuable attribute of company culture. In 1991, philanthropist Warren Buffet

summarized it well when he said: “Trust is like the air we breathe. When it’s

present, nobody really notices. But when it’s absent, everybody notices.”23

According to the global PR firm Edelman®, employees who trust the organization

are more inclined to give their all for the business and its customers.24 A culture

of trust helps employees feel connected and committed, and drives almost every

aspect of behavior. Yet, according to Edelman’s 13th annual Trust Barometer for

2013, only 18 percent of 38,000 respondents from around the globe trust their

business leaders to tell the truth. That translates into a whopping 82 percent of

employees who don’t trust their bosses. Moreover, 48 percent of employees in the

U.S. said that a lack of trust in their employer led to their resignation.25

Indeed, a lack of trust in the office is an infection that seems to be spreading.

Since 2009, Interaction Associates® has conducted the annual survey Building

Trust in the Business Leaders, and recent data shows that there is a decline

in trust across the business spectrum. In fact, in 2012, trust was at its lowest

level since the survey began; only 23 percent of respondents said that their

leadership is consistent, predictable and transparent, compared to nearly 40

percent in 2009.26

Trust and leadership

But how can you infuse trust in your organization? According to the Great Place

to Work Institute, it isn’t really what companies are doing, it’s how their leaders

are doing it.27 Successful companies have leaders that create and reinforce

trust, pride and camaraderie in every communication, decision and interaction.

According to Lyman, who interviewed CEOs from the 100 Best Companies to

write her book “The Trustworthy Leader,” the best practices of trustworthy

and effective leaders have more to do with how things are done rather than

any specific practice. It’s about showing a genuine interest and sincerity with

23 Sandlund, Chris. “Trust Is a Must.” Entrepreneur. N.p., 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/55354>.

24 “Why a Culture of Trust Matters at Your Small Business.” Plantronics Blogcentral. N.p., 14 Aug. 2013. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. <http://blogcentral.plantronics.com/smb-soundbites/2013/08/14/why-it-matters-to-build-a-culture-of-trust-at-your-small-business/>.

25 Davis, Kathleen. “The Real Cost of Unhappy Employees.” Entrepreneur. N.p., 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. <http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228039>.

26 Interaction Associates. Building Trust to Drive Business Results: New Research Defines What Leaders Need to Do Now – And What Happens When They Don’t. N.p., 13 June 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.interactionassociates.com/sites/default/files/Building-Trust-in-Business-2012-Research-News.pdf>.

27 “The Great Place to Work® Model- Trust Is the Key Component.” The Great Place to Work® Model. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.greatplacetowork.com/our-approach/how-do-you-do-it>.


employees, and treating employees with respect. In an interview with

Monster.com®, Lyman said: “Leaders wanting to be trustworthy do not all need

to be charismatic or polished public speakers, yet they do need to be genuinely

interested in other people, value their ideas, and have a desire to be of

service to them.”

According to Fast Company, there are three ways that leaders can foster trust in

an organization.28 First, it’s important to develop relationships with employees.

This can be accomplished by increasing the visibility of leadership and talking

to employees on a regular basis. Small gestures like joining a department staff

meeting or inviting people to lunch help develop trust, as long as the interactions

remain genuine and sincere. When employees feel connected to their managers,

it increases engagement and involvement, because employees trust that leaders

will act in ways that align with their interests.

Second, in order to build trust, it’s equally important to make sure leadership

involves employees in decisions that directly affect them. Simply put, when

employees are involved in decision making, even if they don’t have decision

making capabilities, they are more likely to support the decision. For this reason,

it’s important to involve employees in decision making processes before a final

decision is made in order to obtain buy in and support. When a company trusts

employees to provide feedback and input, they, in turn, trust the process and the

leaders driving change.

Third, building trust requires leaders to be transparent and consistent in

their actions. When employees understand how a decision was made and

are privy to the thought processes behind the decision, they are more

likely to provide support. For example, in one study, employees who

understood the corporate bonus structure and how it was determined

were more satisfied with their annual bonus payout than employees that

received higher bonus checks.29 They key is to communicate how and why

something is determined, so that employees understand the rationale

behind it. Great leaders tend to utilize workplace communications to

support employees, share information, answer questions and provide

equitable benefits. At employers of choice, there are significant resources

available to share information across the organization to ensure that everyone is

up to date on company activities and opportunities.

28 Atkins, Andy. “How Leaders Build Trust.” Fast Company, 7 Aug. 2002. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.fastcompany.com/3000204/how-leaders-build-trust>.

29 Atkins, Andy. “How Leaders Build Trust.” Fast Company, 7 Aug. 2002. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.fastcompany.com/3000204/how-leaders-build-trust>.


Driv ing trust in the workplace

According to a 2013 report from Working Families®, while a culture of trust

starts with top leaders, there are also key drivers that build trust throughout the

workplace. In the report Trust: the key to building well-being and performance in

the workplace, consultant and researcher Susanne Jacobs suggests that companies

need to foster eight trust drivers in order to move towards optimal performance.30

The trust drivers include:

1. Belong and connect—The belief that employees feel part of and connected

to their team and organization.

2. Voice and recognition—The ability to speak up in a way that allows

employees to influence decision making.

3. Significance and position—The sense that employees have a clear and

important role on their team.

4. Fairness—The understanding that individuals are evenly treated within

their team and the organization.

5. Learn and challenge—The opportunity to learn and master new skills and

achieve tangible results.

6. Choice and autonomy—The sense of control over workplace delivery.

7. Security and certainty—The sense of predictability and confidence in the

workplace environment.

8. P urpose—The understanding of how an individual’s role contributes and is

aligned to the team and organization’s success.

Jacobs developed a supporting model that emphasizes this

approach to trust.31 Figure 2. depicts the Jacobs Model of Trust,

and illustrates the factors that influence a culture of trust. As

shown, individual factors related to wellbeing and perception

feed into the key drivers, which are also linked to other

environmental factors such as work-life integration, flexible

working, workload, communication, leadership, resources,

technology, physical environment, reward and performance, and

other people strategies.

30 Churcard, Claire. “Trust ‘critical’ for High Performance Workplaces.” People Management Magazine Online. N.p., 3 July 2013. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2013/07/03/trust-critical-for-high-performance-workplaces-report-finds.aspx>.

31 Jacobs, Susanne. “Trust: The Key to Building Wellbeing and Performance in the Workplace.” Unum. Working Families, 2013. Web. 16 Sept. 2013. <http://www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/2012_build/wp-content/uploads/hi-perf-report-v04.pdf>.


Figure 2. The Jacobs model of trust.

In reality, each of these drivers is a stepping stone towards trust between

employees and the corporation. According to Jacobs, “Understanding how

individuals are motivated at work provides not just the gateway to optimal

performance…but also an environment where every person can flourish.” By

implementing efforts that support key trust drivers, companies can take the

first step towards generating a climate of trust. However, building trust in an

organization doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time to cultivate and nurture,

and requires leadership support and coaching.

How can some of these trust drivers be infused in your organization? Providing

flexibility in the workplace is one way to build choice and autonomy. Flexible

work alternatives combined with work life integration give employees the feeling

of choice and autonomy, which is one of the key drivers of trust. Whether you

provide flexible work hours or work-at-home opportunities, when employees

feel there are choices available, it increases their trust. Likewise, strategies that

provide work-life integration, like onsite child care, free food, or access to gyms

to promote physical wellness, will also contribute to a feeling of autonomy and

build trust.

Training and development opportunities support the trust drivers as well.

Research shows that employees who feel challenged are often more productive.

Because the workplace is constantly evolving, it is important to make sure


employee skills are regularly updated. This influences the pillar on learning

and challenge, and simultaneously increases employee satisfaction while

building trust.

Providing employees with a voice and ample recognition is another critical pillar.

Organizations that put a system in place to allow employees to provide feedback

and put ideas forward makes them feel recognized and appreciated. Conversely,

if employees do not have a mechanism to share ideas and feedback, they can feel

unrecognized and threatened, and that can impact job performance.

Defining job roles can help support the pillar of significance and position.

When job roles are clearly defined, workers have a clear sense of purpose

and are more likely to be engaged and productive. If workers are unsure

what their contribution is, they can feel threatened and their performance

is negatively impacted.

When a company establishes trust in an organization, tangible benefits follow.

In 2007, a well-known study from Watson Wyatt Worldwide® found that

organizations with front-line employees who trusted senior leaders had a 42

percent higher return on shareholder investment than organizations that had

distrust as the norm.32 Likewise, the Interaction Associates survey Building Trust in

Business 2012 finds that there is a clear, explicit connection between companies

that achieve strong business results and high ratings in trust, leadership and

collaboration. Overall, high performing companies are more focused on employee

involvement, including the notion of shared responsibility for success as a key

driver of business results.33 Also, high trust organizations have a strong sense of

shared purpose with employees who work together to support that purpose.

How can you measure trust, or find out how your company measures up? Great

Place to Work Institute established a Trust Index© employee survey that assesses

the culture of an organization and evaluates the atmosphere of trust. The survey

measures employee engagement by surveying employee opinions, attitudes

and perceptions on the level of trust between colleagues, management and

employees. The survey collects comments from open-ended questions in order to

provide additional insight on the environment and culture surrounding trust. The

assessment is easily implemented and can be customized to compare results across

work-groups, locations or any demographic within your organization. You can

even benchmark survey results against companies of similar size or industry, or

compare your rankings to companies that are on the Best Places to Work lists.

32 Reina, Dennis S., and Michelle L. Reina. “The HR Executive’s Role in Rebuilding Trust.” The HR Executive’s Role in Rebuilding Trust. N.p., 2 May 2007. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/print.jhtml?id=12160414>.

33 Interaction Associates. Building Trust to Drive Business Results: New Research Defines What Leaders Need to Do Now – And What Happens When They Don’t. N.p., 13 June 2012. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.


If you are looking for professional advice on how to become a great place to

work, Great Place to Work Institute has several resources that can help. There

are conferences, seminars and webinars offered on how to cultivate trust and

build a best place to work company. It also provides access to reports and books

and provides a platform to share and access best practices. The organization

even provides culture change consulting services and management training.

Creating a high trust culture is not an impossible task. Companies should consider

using Great Place to Work’s Workplace Culture Assessments to gain a better

understanding of how the culture of an organization can help it become one of

the best places to work.

(Don’t ) show me the money

This Blue Paper has yet to explore the role of compensation when it comes to

being an employer of choice. Do you remember the movie Jerry Maguire, and

the famous scene where Cuba Gooding Jr. told Tom Cruise to “Show me the

money?” Although the movie was fictional, the sentiment was applicable to the

corporate landscape at the time. For decades, employers thought that employee

compensation was the secret ingredient to boosting morale and satisfaction.

However, this is no longer the case. As noted by Fast Company: “Where once the

promise of greater pay could quickly restore spirits, workers have grown more

immune to its influence.”34 It seems that employees have come to the conclusion

that while it’s nice to have money, it’s better to have a life.

Indeed, if you look at the companies that top the best places to work lists,

they are not necessarily the highest paying companies. In fact, none of the

top 10 paying companies ranked in the top 10 of the Best Places to Work list.

In 2012, the top paying company was Salesforce.com®, but it didn’t even make

the top 50 list of Best Places to Work that same year. When it comes to pay,

Boston Consulting Group was the only company to make the top 10 list for

both Best Places to Work and highest paying companies.35

Likewise, HR packages do not appear to be enticing employees as they once did.

As journalist Thomas Stewart from CBS News® noted: “A company is a great place

to work, or a lousy one, not because of its HR package. The key is whether the

total deal it offers employees is consistent with the strategy the company takes to

market.”36 Instead of asking for money, employees are looking for life balance.


35 “100 Best Companies to Work For 2011: Compensation, Salaried.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/pay/>.

36 Stewart, Thomas A. “How Companies Really Become “Best Places to Work”” CBSNews. N.p., 10 Nov. 2010. Web. 05 Sept. 2013. <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-45740288/how-companies-really-become-best-places-to-work/>.


4imprint serves more than 100,000 businesses with innovative promotional items throughout the United States,

Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland. Its product offerings include giveaways, business gifts, personalized gifts,

embroidered apparel, promotional pens, travel mugs, tote bags, water bottles, Post-it Notes, custom calendars,

and many other promotional items. For additional information, log on to www.4imprint.com.

4imprint has been listed on the 50 Best Small and Medium Workplaces for six consecutive years,

by the Great Place to Work Institute®

Trying to bribe employees with higher paychecks and bonuses might even have a negative effect. According to an article in Forbes®, it is one of the leading reasons employees might leave a job.37 The article summarizes the 2009 book “Drive” by Daniel Pink that focused on “extrinsic” and “intrinsic” motivators and how they have changed over time. The “extrinsic” motivators consist of traditional carrot and stick rewards such as cash bonuses. The “intrinsic” motivators are internal desires to do good work or create a successful product. In the modern workplace, Pink concludes that the “extrinsic” system of rewards is often a less effective motivator, but one in which too many managers still rely. According to the article, “there is no greater myth in managing a team or company than believing financial compensation is a sufficient incentive to engage and retain top talent and drive high performance.” Even worse, it could be one of the top reasons that your best employees end up leaving your organization.

CEO of Google, Larry Page, eloquently summarized the benefits of creating a company where employees want to work: “When you treat people [well] ... you get better productivity. Rather than really caring what hours you worked, you care about output. We should continue to innovate in our relationship with our employees and figure out the best things we can do for them ... our people have also been a lot happier and more productive, which is much more important.”38

Putt ing a remedy in place

In summary, in order to become an employer of choice you need to do more than just provide perks and money. You need an injection of trust that is delivered by key leaders in your organization that is supported by a solid foundation. When this is combined with benefits that show employees that the organization truly cares about its people, you are one step closer to a cure for dissatisfaction and disengagement. If you ask WebMD®, they’ll tell you that happier workers are more productive.39 That’s enough to make an investment in your working environment worthwhile, so that your office is a place where people want to be. The remedy is within your reach. Bypass the doctor’s office and write your own

prescription for change.

37 Efron, Louis. “Six Reasons Your Best Employees Quit You.” Forbes Magazine, 24 June 2013. Web. 16 Sept. 2013. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/louisefron/2013/06/24/six-reasons-your-best-employees-quit-you/>.

38 Stanger, Melissa. “18 Of The Best Perks At Top Employers.” Business Insider. N.p., 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 03 Sept. 2013. <http://www.businessinsider.com/companies-with-awesome-perks-payscale-2013-1?op=1>.

39 “Happy Workers Make Better Workers.” WebMD. WebMD, 24 Nov. 2004. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20041124/happy-workers-make-better-workers>.

Date post:	25-May-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	2 times
Download:	0 times

Employers of Choice - 4imprint Learning Centerlack of employee engagement will cost business upwards...

Documents