Tuesday, September 10, 2013

AMiable Solution #73: May the (Labor) Force Be With You



What’s the secret to nurturing a happy, productive workforce?  It seems that companies who pay more sometimes receive less in return: fewer turnovers and fewer customer service issues. 

Every year Forbes identifies the top 100 American companies to work for.  This year, in addition to identifying the usual 100, Forbes also identified all of the employers who have appeared on all of the company’s “Best Companies” lists--16 of them since 1998.  Of the 13 employers identified on this list, four are called out for offering generous or higher-than-average pay: Cisco, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Goldman Sachs, and Nordstrom.

CostCo, too, appears to buy into the “pay employees more than you need to” mentality.  According to a September 3, 2013, article, “On Labor Day, 3 Companies Worth Celebrating,” by Jeremy Bowman, the warehouse giant pays its employees more than $20/hour.  Rival Wal-Mart pays $13/hour.

The lesson here?  Sometimes money does buy happiness, and loyalty, and success. 

The good news?  Not every company, particularly new or small companies, can afford to be generous in their wage offerings.  Fortunately, money isn’t the only thing that motivates workers or that lands an organization on Forbes’ list.  Check back next week--and every week in September--to see what other traits keep companies successful and employees satisfied.

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