PIHRA Scope - Spring 2009 - (Page 8) GRASS continued from page 7 3 4 SEED #3: CROSS-POLLINATE YOUR CULTURE BY EMBRACING DIVERSITY It takes a lot of different influences—diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual preference, lifestyle, geographic origin, education, personality, values, experience, socioeconomic background and so forth—to make your pasture the greenest. A diverse workforce creates an energy that can rarely exist in an environment of uniformity. Companies that bring together a diverse group of people to get the job done are richer, more stimulating and, frankly, more fun. Leaders need to encourage the involvement of all team members who, in turn, need to feel comfortable about offering suggestions and challenging ideas or practices. By hiring employees from all walks of life, you’ll create an environment where differing ideas flow freely. Learn how to use these ideas to better your company, and you’ll create an environment where top talent wants to stay. themselves, but they also see that what they’re doing truly matters.” 6 SEED #6: GET CREATIVE WITH BENEFITS You don’t have to provide your employees with onsite medical care and state-of-the-art fitness centers. In fact, you probably can’t. But do realize your employees are looking at benefits other than those that meet the norm—such as health insurance and a 401(k)—when considering the elusive “happiness” factor. These “normal” benefits are really the price of admission because employees can get them almost anywhere. It’s up to you to think outside the box and figure out the benefits that will well, benefit them the most. “There are many inexpensive ways to satisfy your employees; you just have to use your imagination,” says Sujansky. “Take a note from Qualcomm. In addition to offering an amazing healthcare package, the company caters dinner for employees who work late, a relatively inexpensive perk that is sure to please hungry, hardworking employees. Other options include providing access to dry-cleaning services, treating all of your employees to lunch once a week, or providing them with on-site educational programs delivered by local experts or company vendors in a wide variety of fields.” SEED #4: BE A GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN Once upon a time, the corporate heads of many organizations had one concern: “How much money can we make and how fast can we make it?” Well, money still matters, of course. But today’s employers are finding that they have to care about more than just profits if they want to keep their employees happy. The environment, health, and safety have never been more in the spotlight, and as a result, employees want to work for companies who take these factors into consideration. In fact, a study by the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College found that 30 percent of employers say that good corporate citizenship helps them recruit and retain employees. Good corporate citizens maintain high ethical standards, decrease the negative effects their company has on the environment, and give back to the community. A great example of a good corporate citizen is Patagonia, whose environmental activism program works to protect undomesticated lands and waters. “There are many ways to become a good corporate citizen,” says Sujansky. “You can reward employees who carpool or use mass transit to get to work, you can set goals to reduce the amount of energy your organization uses, you can schedule monthly trips for employees to help out at local soup kitchens or get involved with programs such as Relay for Life or the March of Dimes.” 7 SEED #7: BE AWARE OF THE CHANGING NEEDS OF YOUR EMPLOYEES Keep in mind that as your employees progress in life their needs change. After having a child, an employee may want to travel less than before the child was born. As your baby boomer employees get older, so do their parents. Be understanding when they need to take time off to take care of the health needs of mom or dad. And never give them a hard time when they need to take care of their own health issues. By understanding the changing needs, you show sensitivity to what’s going on in their lives. You demonstrate that you see them as people, not just cogs in the machine. Not only will you build loyalty with your employees, but you will help them bring stability to their personal lives— which means when they are at work they can place all of their focus on getting the job done. 5 SEED #5: GIVE PRAISE WHERE PRAISE IS DUE If someone does a great job, let him know. It’s that simple. And then let his co-workers know. And then let his customers know! Recognizing a job well done isn’t an expensive proposition, but it will mean the world to your employee. “A good way to achieve employee recognition on a regular basis is to create an employee recognition program,” says Sujansky. “You might give managers the authority to reward their employees on the spot—say, with a gift certificate or a small cash bonus right then and there. Kimley-Horn & Assoc., an engineering consultancy headquartered in Cary, NC, even allows fellow employees to reward one another with $50 bonuses. Employees not only enjoy the rewards 8 PIHRAScope Spring 2009 8 SEED #8: REALIZE THAT GREAT EMPLOYEES THRIVE UNDER GREAT LEADERS Your employees won’t leave you for that greener pasture unless you drive them to it. The buck starts and stops with their leaders. In fact it’s commonly said that employees don’t quit their job, they quit their manager. “Employees of great leaders will go to the ends of the earth to do a good job for them,” says Sujansky. “The fl ip side is that employees with poor leadership will simply go. The take-away lesson? Pay attention to your front line managers. Keep a close eye on their relationships with employees and get rid of bad managers when necessary. If your employees see that you care about who you enlist as a leader, they’ll feel more secure and will work even harder.”
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