Some companies are revered for the way they keep employees engaged and passionate about their work. Here, we share with you five of the best organizations with the most engaged staff who go the extra mile, and share the strategies and practices that keep them at the top of the employee engagement game.
1. Full Contact.
Each year, this software firm offers their employees $7,500 to take a “paid paid” vacation. They literally pay them to go on holiday anywhere they like. The only rules? You actually have to go somewhere, and can’t do any work or answer work related calls or messages. They stand by the idea that employees who actually go on vacation without dealing with anything work related return in a better state to work, fully ready and committed to push towards the company aims. Employees also return with a different, fresh outlook.
These “paid paid” vacations also supposedly eliminate the issue of people thinking they’re the only one who can solve a problem. Once people return from their holiday relaxed and find things running smoothly, they will feel less pressure to handle everything themselves and develop a heightened sense of trust for their coworkers.
If it’s not quite in your budget to be giving out large amounts of holiday cash, it’s always possible to instead let people take a couple of extra days paid leave, or a long weekend once in awhile, where they can also leave their work responsibilities behind and really get away. People will appreciate their hard work being recognized and be thankful for the chance to disconnect from their responsibilities, even for a short time.
2. Southwest Airlines.
Southwest Airlines is a company revered for their employee engagement practices. With employee engagement levels having remained high over the years, they have a team full of committed, enthusiastic people who are passionate about the company’s vision and values and willing to help the company continue their success. They’ve set the bar high — from allowing existing employees from various departments to design their own uniform and giving them autonomy over aspects of their work life they’d never normally get a say in, to becoming a glowing example of customer service due to their collective of happy, committed employees.
The company allowed employees from any department to apply to collaborate on new uniform designs, with results really reflecting personality and company culture in a way that wouldn’t have been achieved had employees not been given a say. Employees were responsive to this, describing it as an “unforgettable experience.” The company encourages employees to stay inspired to do things differently. The viral video of one flight attendant rapping the safety information goes to show the kind of attitude the company has towards keeping things fun and unique, creating a great experience for customers and employees alike, and giving a…