Engage Employees by asking them, ‘what would they do?’

This was my first time watching Undercover Boss and I really enjoyed the interaction between an executive and frontline staff. This show is a great way to catch a glimpse of a company's organizational culture.

How to Keep your Employees Happy and Yield Healthier Stocks in the Process

Keeping your employees happy isn't just about great benefits or a ping pong table in the employee lounge. Similarly, the motivation behind keeping employees happy isn't limited to altruistic intentions. Taking a closer look at exceptional workplaces reveals the situation is bit more complicated than one might originally think.

Using Workplace Fun to Boost Employee Morale, Build Trust, and Develop Camaraderie

I just returned from Houston, Texas where I attended Camden Property Management’s annual retreat. My colleague Kelli Marjolet and I were invited to partake in the festivities and to catch a glimpse of the unique company culture that has propelled Camden to the #7 spot on this year’s FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list.  Employee morale is incredibly high at this workplace where having fun is serious business and everyone in the organization is expected to get in on the action.

Comparing Women at the Best Companies to Work For to National Averages

Rachel Maddow’s recent row with CNN contributor Alex Castellanos regarding the pay gap between the salaries of men and women, got me thinking about whether or not the Best Companies to Work For, or great workplaces in general, are better providers of equal pay. Despite Castellanos’ contention, research from the BLS reveals that for roles from lawyer to janitor, the ratio of women’s to men’s earnings is 81.2%.

Give a Boost to Employee Morale with these Tips on How to Have More Fun at Work

Last fall, our Executive Strategy Network met at Camden Property Trust to address the serious topic of Fun in the Workplace.  With the Network off in New York City right now to learn about best practices in Professional Development programs from PricewaterhouseCoopers, I thought it might be fun to re-examine a few quick tips on how to bring a spirit of fun to the workplace.

Want More Trustworthy Employees?  Start by Trusting Them

At the core of the Great Place to Work® Model are relationships built on trust.  Even our assessment tools are designed to measure the level of trust that exists between employees and management, and a large part of our advisory practice is centered on helping managers and leaders build up reservoirs of trust in their relationships. 

Building a Great Workplace requires Good Managers

Good managers are essential to great workplaces, but so often we put the onus for a great workplace culture on the executive leadership. Of course, this makes perfect sense, since it is often the CEO who sets a company’s cultural and strategic direction, and models the behaviors through which cultural values are realized. 

New Study Reveals that a Great Workplace Culture Propels Innovation at Google

A recent study published by Annika Steiber of Chalmers University of Technology, outlines the elements of Google’s organizational design that contribute to their success at innovation. Steiber’s findings affirm the role of trust and a strong workplace culture in creating an environment where innovation can thrive. 

Ideas from Kahler Slater on How to Build Pride in the Workplace

Building Pride through Storytelling, and Barbara Armstrong and Kelly Gaglione of Kahler Slater shared with us how Best Companies all across the country use their workspace in unique ways to share their story. These stories inspire people, engage employees and invite clients to be a part of the company vision. The fun part is simply figuring out how to tell the story!

Building Pride through Storytelling in the Workplace

Whether companies use words, pictures, or something more fun, storytelling in the workplace serves to remind employees why they do what they do. In a breakout session at the 2012 Great Place to Work® Conference, Barbara Armstrong and Kelly Gaglione of Kahler Slater, a Best Small and Medium Workplace, outlined how great workplaces express their organizational culture through their workspace.