Page 10 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

Preface Cix

are nurtured and, as a result, thrive—achieving exceptional results for
all. These elite employers seem to be cutting against the grain, steadily
and confidently going about the business of engaging their employees.
They’ve often carved their paths in the face of adversity and doubt.
Some stock analysts, for example, can’t see past their noses to under-
stand that investing a little extra in engaging the workforce will pay
for itself with happier and more loyal customers in the long run. This
relatively new breed of premier employers is second-guessed even by
the well intentioned, who tell them that “employees will just take ad-
vantage of you if you give them the chance.” Other skeptics admon-
ish that those “people programs” may be nice when business is riding
high, but they need to be the first things to go when the bottom falls
out of the business.
The companies profiled in this book have a very different mindset
about all of this. They’re a principled bunch, and when the economy
gets shaky or market analysts get nervous, they know that “when the
going gets tough, the tough work even harder to maintain a great place
to work.” They don’t set aside core principles in turbulent times—“they
don’t drop the aircraft in order to fly the microphone,” as the aviator
would warn. They challenge employees to keep themselves engaged
even as they challenge all leaders to be accountable for engaging em-
ployees. When other leaders are hiding away in their plush executive
suites, these true leaders are out in front of employees and customers,
talking openly and honestly. And when they must make job cuts or
put salary freezes in place, they do so in a professional and dignified
manner—no ducking and running in this all-too-exceptional group.
Nor is there anything willy-nilly about their approach to building
a great workplace. To begin, there actually is a plan—that alone sets
them apart. Moreover, their plans are tightly bound to the organiza-
tion’s key values. This allows their leadership to make clear decisions
about what actions are important where people-related investments
are being considered. Many of these better places to work even cre-
ate their own language, which serves as a shorthand for the human
capital values they so passionately treasure, a language that functions
to clarify, guide, and inspire.