Part 84: What Attracts Great Employees – How Small & Mid Sized Companies Grow

June 23, 2016

by Michael Neidle

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To be a great company one must have great employees. So what seems to be the common denominator in attracting really great people? Let’s look at a couple of recognized leaders such as Google (now Alphabet) and Genentech (acquired by Roche). Both companies were rated in the top dozen places to work by Fortune. Both of these organizations are in the tech sector, information and biotech; respectively. And certainly one does not have to be in high tech to be listed in the Fortune 100 group. Nevertheless, being in a leading edge industry such as high tech helps to attract the best and brightest, as these sectors offer high salaries and great advancement opportunities due to their inherent growth rates. Other companies in the top dozen are Acuity Insurance, Wegmans Food Market, The Boston Consulting Group, Quicken Loan, Robert W Baird & Company, Kimberly-Horn, SAS Institute, Camden Property Trust, Edward Jones and W. L. Gore & Associates. The turnover in most of these companies were generally quite low and though these companies did generally well in terms of innovation, sales and profits, the be all and end all was not growth and profit at any cost. There was a sense of perspective in balancing long company performance with employee motivation, retention and well being.

Here are some of the frequently noted comments these employees in general had to say:

They have trust in management’s ethics and honesty. They feel in the loop and have good communications with management. They feel that they contribute to society and feel proud of the company that they work for. They feel valued as an employee and a person and are well rewarded for their contribution. They have very good perks and benefits. They feel challenged in their job and they work in a very pleasant environment. They can take time off when needed. They have the resources to do their job properly. They feel a sense of accomplishment and as a result of the above give their all to their job.

To see all articles in this series please go to http://optimal-mgt.com/blog.