These Are the Secrets From "Best Places to Work" Any Company Can Use
Posted by Fast Company on October 2, 2017:
Perhaps few things can make your workplace feel more inadequate than those annual "best places to work" lists. They list posh benefits, campuses with dry cleaning services, and training programs that give employees leadership experience. How is a smaller company with a smaller budget supposed to compete?
The good news is that there are ways to take cues from what those companies are doing, scale them, then adapt and adopt them for your company, says Ed Frauenheim, director of global research and content at Great Place to Work Institute, a research and consulting firm that publishes a number of "best places to work" lists.
"The first thing to keep in mind from our perspective is that the most important things aren't big bank breakers. They're more about the relationships you're establishing in the organization than perks or benefits," he says.
So, if you can't afford to host an annual two-day company soccer tournament or provide free housing for interns, take these steps to improve your workplace culture and make employees happier to work for your company.
At $9.3 billion, World Wide Technology, which tests and builds IT systems for Fortune 500 companies and government clients, isn't one of the "little guys." But Ann Marr, vice president of global human resources, says some of the policies and approaches to the workplace have landed the company on "best places to work" lists, such as Glassdoor and Great Place to Work. The most important one is to create a culture of coaching and success that fosters trust.
What does that mean in day-to-day interaction? In addition to helping employees by giving them opportunities to lead projects that may be a stretch or take advantage of opportunities to learn new skills, the company expects employees to coach each other. If you're struggling, they're encouraged to offer help. If you could have done something better, they're encouraged to tactfully give you feedback to help you improve. If they see you overwhelmed with work, they're going to roll up their sleeves and pitch in — whether you work in the C-suite or the warehouse.