Are there any good places to work anymore? The economic downturn, which in some sectors is pretty bad, makes things seem dismal overall. Surely every company is cutting corners. Layoffs abound in all sectors. Expense budgets have been cut in grand ways. You’re just lucky if you have a job, all of us say. Forget any perks. Be happy you have any benefits. It’s important for companies to survive in the short term – at all costs. Well – not all companies believe that. They believe that they should run their business for the long term. More than likely, they will survive. But, in the meantime, while they struggle they can still be a good place to work. They know that survival in the long term means valuing your employees. In doing the Best Places to Work special report in this issue of the Business Journal, we found that being a Best Place to Work meant several different things. Yes, at some companies, it meant giving massages, giving trips and having food available onsite all the time. Some even have jogging tracks. Other companies get their employees engaged with each other by having lots of parties and special events where the workers can dress up and have some fun. Some companies simply have some really solid benefits that keep their employees from having to spend a lot of money. Still others just do a great job on the one thing that many employees say is the most important issue for them at any company – communication. That doesn’t mean being overly friendly and forcing people to engage in discourse with others. It means that management conveys company goals, company expectations and company results freely with their employees and they do it well. The rank-and-file workers are treated the same as upper management. Everybody is working on the same team and their contributions are valued equally. You communicate pretty much everything. That doesn’t cost anything – and the smart business owners and managers know that. Being a Best Place to Work can be very inexpensive, actually, I have found after doing this project for two years in a row. Employees like to feel valued – and that doesn’t cost anything. An employee suggestion box doesn’t have to cost anything. You can use a cardboard box. Actually, a manager simply initiating a chat in the lunch room with another employee about their weekend can go a long way in making people feel like the company cares. To all you managers out there: When is the last time you brought in doughnuts or bagels for your staff? When’s the last time you told them to knock off early on a Friday? Or maybe a Monday? (that’s even better). I don’t do this as much as I should, believe me. You get caught up in the tasks of the moment. Doughnuts don’t seem all that important at the time. But they are. Don’t get me wrong. Good wages are good. Excellent benefits are good. But those can be expensive for really small companies. The other things I mentioned don’t cost anything. Well, maybe a management seminar or two is needed to carry it out effectively. So, next year I’d love to see many, many more companies applying for our Best Places to Work awards. You know, it doesn’t cost anything. Business Journal Editor Jason Schaff can be reached at (818) 316-3125 or at [email protected].
