TACA Conveyor - Winter 2007 - (Page 14) employees will quickly realize the truth. And by the way: it isn’t always cash that makes green pastures green. When salaries are commensurate with the marketplace, other factors take priority. Good people stay where they are challenged, where they have the opportunity to develop and contribute, and where their employers take care of those meaningful little things that make their lives easier.” So here’s the million-dollar question: What are these secret little things that will help you keep your employees engaged and productive? And on behalf of all of the non-mega corporations out there, how can you do it without breaking the bank? Here are 16 easy-toplant (and inexpensive!) “seeds” that will help your pasture be the greenest for your future and current employees: Seed #1: Don’t misrepresent your culture. Engaging your employees starts with the first time you interview them. What do you say to your new hires about the company? Is it really an accurate representation of how your organization works? Do you tell them about exciting opportunities only to hold them back from new assignments until they “pay their dues”? “When new employees find out how things are really done, not only will they resent you, they’ll likely find somewhere else to work,” says Sujansky. “One insurance company learned this lesson the hard way. The company took on 12 new hires whose values they felt matched the company’s. However, after only two years all 12 of the new hires had left, citing the same reason: The values leaders said they stood for were not actually upheld. This company could talk the talk, but they couldn’t walk the walk. Every company should be honest about the kind of work environment it represents.” “If your culture isn’t quite where you’d like it to be, tell your new hires about the type of company you are striving to become, tell them how you are going to get there, and how they can help you 14 TACA Conveyor • Winter 2007 get there,” she adds. “They’ll find the honesty refreshing, and it will help them get off to a great start.” Seed #2: Learn the rules of engagement. Bored employees are neither happy nor productive. To keep your employees engaged and satisfied, present them with challenging assignments and provide them with opportunities to grow and develop. American Century Investments pays 75% of employees’ tuition when they take a course that isn’t related to their job. If you are limited with funding options you can always help employees to use their special skills and talents in their everyday job. (In other words, let your employees graze in other parts of your company’s pasture and sometimes in entirely new pastures!) “Not surprisingly, employees appreciate it when their employers take an interest in their future inside and outside the company,” says Sujansky. “A great way to do that is by providing opportunities for employees to improve on their skills or learn a new skill they can use in their everyday jobs. Either practice provides you with an opportunity to create a well-rounded, productive employee.” 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, socio-economic 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. 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.” 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
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