[December 9, 2016] Now is the time of year that the best companies to work for are ranked. You can see the top 10, 25 or 100 companies and a variety of reputable firms are ranking them based on a number of classic criteria. The focus is usually on surveys that ask employees how they “feel” about their employment, chances of advancement, pay, etc. What is typically not covered is how the senior leadership has done its homework to make those companies such great places to work.
One of my favorite firms doing the ranking is Forbes Inc. which I’ve been reading for a long time now. They publish their methodology that gives me a good idea of their system and its validity over time and across organizations. The Motley Fool is another site I enjoy because it gives a little more analysis that is not much different than what I try to do here at www.theLeaderMaker.com.
Several companies I’ve highlighted in my leadership blog make these lists each year. For example: Starbucks, Costco, USAA, Marriott Hotels, Whole Foods Market, Amazon, to mention a few. The focus has been to establish that the senior leadership of any organization, large or small, is the point at which decisions are made that determine the nature of how people work and how they “feel” about it. Leadership determines the work environment; good, bad, or indifferent.
There is no organization that cannot be made a great place to work. This means the leadership successfully deals with the ever changing landscape in the workplace; anticipating change, monitoring change, adapting to it quickly, and making it less stressful (or enjoying it). What it does not mean is an overreliance on a hyper-positive environment but one that is realistic and instills the best values to succeed.1
The best companies to work for are always those that welcome everyone, especially newcomers along with their family members, provide all the tools for employees to do well (including education), maintains a positive work environment, and uses coaching, mentoring, and teaching to ensure that everyone is acquainted with the organizational core values, mission, and purpose.
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- A good book to read on this is Who Move My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life, by Spencer Johnson, 1998.