Earlier this week, we shared an interview with Lily Cua from Aspire about providing employees meaningful company perks. This is all part of a larger effort to improve the work experience, and thus hopefully give employees the warm and fuzzy feeling that makes them want to stick around (there's more to employee retention, but this is part of it). To continue along with this theme, this week's Talent and HR News Weekly Update features some recent news pieces focused on making sure employees are happy (you may have seen one about a few (very) big tech firms providing a certain benefit to boost female retention...) Enjoy!
1) Kip Tindell: How He Created An Employee-First Culture At The Container Store from Forbes
"I spoke to Kip Tindell, who is currently the Chairman & CEO of The Container Store. He was presented with Ernst & Young’s prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year award in 1991 and is a recipient of the National Retail Federation’s 1998 Innovator of the Year Award. In 2006, along with wife Sharon Tindell (Chief Merchandising Officer) and Garrett Boone (Chairman Emeritus), Tindell was inducted into the Retailing Hall of Fame and he is a 2009 Junior Achievement of Dallas Business Hall of Fame inductee."
2) Small business advice: Lessons in loyalty from the Market Basket protests from The Washington Post
"Before they made headlines this summer, supermarket chain Market Basket and its chief executive weren’t on the radar of many small business owners. But if you’re an entrepreneur, take note of this story, as there are key lessons to be learned about the power of company culture and the importance of being dedicated to your employees. After Market Basket’s board of directors ousted Demoulas this summer, thousands of the supermarket’s employees risked their jobs to march outside the company’s headquarters in Massachusetts. The protestors weren’t asking for more money, better benefits or additional time off. They just wanted their boss back."
3) How to Get Your Employees to Speak Up from Harvard Business Review
"Getting candid opinions from your direct reports can be difficult. After all, no one wants to upset the boss. But hearing messages from down the ranks — including input from your company’s customers, feedback on your performance, and information from other departments or units — is critical to your organization’s success. How can you encourage your team members to have honest conversations with you — and to speak up when it’s important?"
4) Managers can boost creativity by 'empowering leadership' and earning employees' trust from Science Daily
"Managers can promote creativity in employees by "empowering leadership" and earning employees' trust, according to a new study by Rice University and American University. The researchers investigated, for the first time, the complex effect of the interaction among empowering leadership, uncertainty avoidance and trust on creativity. They collected supervisors' ratings of employee creativity in two separate studies in China: one with employees of an energy-saving light bulb design and manufacturing company and the other with the employees of a nonferrous metals manufacturing company."
5) 27 Ways to Put the Customer First on CX Day from Forbes
October 7th is CX Day. CX Day is a global initiative by the CXPA to celebrate great customer experience and the professionals that make it happen. Customer experience is about action, not words. Little things can make a big difference. But, where do you start? Where do you focus your time and resources first? Based on my research, here is the ideal progression. 1. Employees First, 2. Then Customers, 3. Lastly the top 20% of customers / employees."
6) Facebook, Apple pay to freeze employees' eggs from CNN Money
"Facebook and Apple are telling their female employees: We will pay to freeze your eggs. Facebook (FB, Tech30) is already covering the procedure as part of its insurance benefits, the company said. Apple (AAPL, Tech30) plans to offer coverage starting in January, according to report by NBC News. The relatively new practice of freezing eggs allows women to put their fertility on hold so they can still have children later in life. It's an unusual "perk" and the technology giants appear to be the first major employers to offer such coverage for non-medical reasons."
Lexi Gordon is a Lead Consultant for exaqueo, a workforce consultancy that helps organizations build their cultures, employer brands and talent strategies. Contact exaqueo to learn more about how we can help you build a workforce that’s aligned with your company culture and develop an employer brand that will allow your business to scale the right way.