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But it isn’t rocket science.
It’s much more complicated.
That’s the thing every well-intentioned com-
pany learns when it sets out to create an en-
vironment that motivates workers to perform
at their highest levels and to entice others to
work there.
There is no magic formula, no equation that
logically computes success.
“We put a lot of energy around the employee
experience and how we can improve it,” says
Ann Owens, a vice president at Qualcomm,
which ranked No. 23 this year on Fortune
magazine’s annual list of “�00 Best Compa-
nies to Work For.”
“Even with that effort, you’re never quite sure
what will work,” she said.
San Diego-based Qualcomm has made
Fortune’s list before, as well as other similar
compilations.
The wireless technology developer under-
stands that it needs creativity to thrive and
to do that it needs a workplace that inspires
employees and makes their lives easier and
better.
In its Jan. 23 print issue, Fortune identifies
Qualcomm as one of �4 companies on its 2006
list that provide medical insurance cover-
age free of charge to employees and their
dependents.
“From time to time, we look at the cost of
health care, and you immediately think that
having employees share in the cost is a good
solution,” Owens says. “But we know from
surveys how highly our workers value that
benefit so we look for other ways to save
money.”
It is the attention to survey results and the
later follow-up that help Qualcomm and oth-
ers on the Fortune list stand apart. But no two
corporate strategies are alike.
“We’re always looking for ‘differentiators,’‚“
says Owens. “We look for the things we can do
that differentiates our company from others.”
Sometimes, those can be surprising. Qual-
comm, long a proponent of carpooling, has a
fleet of vehicles available during the day for
carpool workers who need to run errands on
their lunch hours. The borrowed car program
gets high marks in employee surveys.
Intuit, which has �,000 employees in San Di-
ego, was No. 43 on Fortune’s 2006 list. Execs
at the tax software company also say they pay
particular attention to employee surveys.
“There’s a lot of two-way communication in
our company, and we encourage that at all
levels,” says Sherry Whiteley, Intuit’s senior
vice president for human resources. “Our
employees definitely feel comfortable letting
their voices be heard.”
Mountain View, Calif.,-based Intuit often
responds to what employees want at individual
locations. That’s why the San Diego location
has access to dry cleaning, car washes and oil
changes on site during the work day - all at
discounted rates.
“We’ve found that if you can help remove
some of the chores people have to do in their
lives while they’re working, it makes them ap-
preciate the job a little more,” Whiteley says.
Intuit also allows workers 32 hours of paid
time off each year to contribute to community
groups or causes they believe in. Whiteley
says allowing individuals to choose the cause
enhances the value of the benefit.
“Sometimes you listen to the employees but
can’t give them everything they want,” White-
ley says. “At our corporate office, we have a
farmers market twice a month. Our employees
like it so much they want it here every day, but
that’s just not possible.”
What successful companies seem to know
is that being attuned to employee wants and
desires is more effective than just throwing
money into the benefit pool. Both Qualcomm
and Intuit say that some benefits cost very
little but have a big impact; neither company
revealed how much they spend.
Even small benefits can make a difference.
The environmentally sensitive shoe company
Timberland offers workers a $3,000 subsidy
if they buy a gas-electric hybrid car; drug
giant Eli Lilly offers a month of paid vacation
to pregnant workers before they give birth
and Worthington Industries offers $4 on-site
haircuts.
The secret to a great workplace seems to be
respecting employees and valuing their ideas
on how to make work a better place.
There’s no science involved, just an attitude
that workers matter.
© Copley News Service
Good companies know how to make work a better place [by Michael Kinsman]
If creating great places to work was rocket science, there would be many more inspired workplaces.
