Diane Richards is president of the
National Human Resources
Association's San Diego affiliate.
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The tables have turned. No longer are capable employees nervously polishing their resumes, fearing that they will be replaced by the army of hungry job seekers. With unemployment near historic lows, it’s an employee's market, one that lets cadres of high-caliber employees confidently shout, "Show me the benefits!"
In this environment, recruiting and retaining quality employees makes economic sense, leading companies to find new and creative ways to keep their employees happy.
"Some (employers) are doing different and unique things with paid time off like increased vacation, increased paid leave, and floating holidays," says Diane Richards, president of the National Human Resources Association's San Diego affiliate. Roadrunner Sports, the catalog retailer where Richards is human resources director, recently began a stakeholder program where participants have a financial interest in the company’s success over a vesting period. "Public companies may also offer stock options," she adds.
Family Friendly
Micki Stockalper, president of Stock/Alper & Associates, a public relations and advertising agency, provides her employees with a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision and disability.
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But what sold Audrey Jacobs, Stock/Alper's new director of public relations, was the firm's family-friendly attitude. When interviewing for the position, Jacobs mentioned she was pregnant and was pleasantly surprised by Stockalper's positive response. "Micki said that the firm encouraged people to have a balanced life between work and family," says Jacobs. "I just could not imagine any other agency acknowledging that women with families can work just as hard."
Evidence of the Stockalper philosophy can be found all around the Victorian-style house that has been transformed into office space. Children's artwork hangs on the refrigerator. Toys, swings and cribs are well-used at this child-friendly office. Stockalper says that while the office does not have a designated lactation station, it is not unusual to see breast pumps in any of the seven bathrooms, or expressed mother’s milk in the refrigerator. Stockalper also says that while the agency does not have a child-care program, parents often bring their children to work when child care falls through. On those days, there is plenty for a busy child to do. Behind the vice president's office is a kids' office fully equipped with a little desk and art supplies.
For those who think such heavy integration of family and work is too distracting to grow a business, Stock/Alper proves just the opposite. In the past six months, the agency has doubled in size.
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Micki Stockalper is president of
Stock/Alper & Associates.
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A Kick For The Younger Crowd
San Diego companies with younger employees offer stress-relieving good times for their staff. John Greer, president of the La Jolla Group, has adopted an increasingly popular approach to employee retention by creating an environment that is both productive and fun for his relatively young staff. To cater to his Generation X-ers, Greer offers weekly kickboxing lessons, personal watercraft events, wine tastings and Magic Mountain Days. "Last year we spent a day cruising in a 55-foot boat, stopped for dinner at the Coronado Loews and spent the night in luxury rooms."
Other San Diego companies offer employees partial reimbursement for child care, investment opportunities, financial assistance for college tuition or graduate degrees, gift matching for charitable contributions, discounted movie, theater and concert tickets, and gym memberships.
Opportunities To Advance
John O'Hair, vice president of development at Tudor Publishing, an educational software developer, says his company offers an intense commitment to promoting internally. "Our vice president of operations started here six years ago as a receptionist," he says.
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Retaining employees increases morale and saves money, says Richards, from the National Human Resources Association. "If an employer is nonchalant about employees coming and going, employees feel that they are not valued," she says. Secondly, it’s extraordinarily expensive to recruit and train new employees when staff turnover is high. Richards estimates an hourly production worker will take one month to learn the job properly and meet an employer's expectations. The higher the skill level, the longer the learning curve.
Nyla Marson, vice president of membership for the National Human Resources Association, adds that productivity decreases in two ways. The employee must learn his job, but those who interact with him often need time to adapt to a new person as well.
Marson, who also is the human resources director at TomaHawk II, an engineering services firm, says that if an employee leaves a company for a competitor, "you've got a loss in the value that you can offer clients. Part of what we offer our customers is the people, in terms of their expertise and knowledge. Having top people who have a reputation in their industry is part of the value of what we can provide." Richards says that high turnover results in a loss of corporate knowledge. "You lose a lot of your culture."
Even in times of high unemployment, investing in benefits aimed at retaining quality employees can yield impressive results for businesses. But now more than ever, employers are jumping through flaming hoops to keep their workers happy and loyal. The timing may never be right to ask for that Mercedes convertible as a bonus, but it’s quite likely that today’s employees are getting a benefits package that’s a cut above yesteryear’s entry-level model.
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Nyla Marson serves as vice president,
membership for the National
Human Resources Association.
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High-Tech Employers Get Creative In Inspiring Commitment
by Jan Phillips and Colin Pearce
Mark Fackler is the kind of boss most people dream of. If he hears of an employee who has done particularly well on a job, he's apt to write out a sticky note and attach it to his paycheck. Or hand her a printed ribbon that says "Nice Job, from the Pres." He spends his Friday mornings in the company parking lot personally washing the car of his employee of the week, and the Stellcom Inc. chief executive believes he’ll get "30 hours of extra productivity" for the hour he spends.
At Accel Technologies, when his company hits its quarterly targets, CEO Walt Foley buys special gourmet coffee for the staff for the next three months. And next to the coffee machine is a note of congratulations written by Foley.
To help reduce the everyday burdens of employees at Molecular Simulations Inc., Human Resources Director Judy Ohrn reports that the company offers a range of personal services including on-site massage, car wash, oil change and dry cleaning.
Welcome to the "new work order" of the 21st century. With a workforce more skilled, independent and entrepreneurial than ever, high-tech companies are vying for employees like never before. A telephone survey of local CEOs reveals that employee retention is the No. 1 topic at CEO roundtable discussions. Some refer to the employment situation as "hyper-competitive" while others see "the beginning of organized raiding."
To deal with this emerging issue, innovative companies are changing from within, re-creating their corporate cultures to respond to the needs of the new American workforce. Those leading the way are confident the result will be enhanced commitment, increased productivity and improved bottom lines.
In a survey this year of 1,800 workers, the Aon Consulting Firm found the No. 1 driver of employee commitment is a management that recognizes the importance of its employees' personal and family lives. Following this comes fair pay and benefits, clear and ample communication about those benefits, and training and development for professional improvement.
At GERS Retail Systems in Sorrento Valley this approach is not new. The company has been built on the foundations of a committed and fulfilled workforce. Since GERS recognizes the need for a balance between work and home lives, workers have the opportunity to take advantage of both flextime and telecommuting.
GERS also has formalized its commitment to employee development through the "GERS University," an extensive program of both personal and professional classes. Employees dedicate 5 percent of their work hours each month to attending classes offered through the university. For all new employees, that includes a course on the company culture and values. Intermingled with beautiful artwork in the corporate headquarters are the company’s mission statements and plaques honoring the exceptional work of its employees.
In addition to giving its employees access to all the facilities of the San Diego Tech Center, GERS offers regular group social activities ranging from a day's wine tasting or a trip to the Del Mar horse races to a week-long vacation scuba diving in Mexico.
At the monthly staff meetings of STAC Inc., employees stand up and recognize colleagues from other departments who have gone out of their way to be helpful. "Everyone is involved in the critical path and everyone makes a difference," says CEO John Ticer. "This is an opportunity for everyone to realize how important their contribution is and how much people depend on them." Because the company is so fast-growing, STAC's monthly staff meetings conclude with people introducing themselves to someone they don’t know and finding out as much as they can about that individual.
While some bottom-liners might consider these practices "touchy-feely extravagances," the leaders of these companies say that paying attention to the personal and professional needs of their employees is well worth the effort — and it does take effort. As Ticer admits, "This is not something that comes naturally to a corporation. We’ve had to work hard at achieving it."
As competition for employees heightens, companies are finding that to become an employer of choice, they must create a culture that values its workers and makes an effort to meet their needs. Employees want to understand the strategic direction in which the company is heading and feel that they have an important role to play in that direction, a role that is noticed and appreciated.
The new philosophy is truly embodied by those companies that see themselves as a community. Pamela Coker of Acucorp is committed to seeing that her company has a fun, family atmosphere and she is supportive of "anything that makes us look more human." As Coker says, "I know I wouldn't want to come to work here unless it’s comfortable and feels good."
These are interesting times in the high-tech arena, and inspiring as well, as we watch the bottom line moving closer to the heart.
Colin Pearce and Jan Phillips are principals of Creativedge, a consulting firm dedicated to heightening creativity and commitment in the corporate environment.
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