You’re out there interviewing for jobs. You’ve decided that, in your next gig, you want to work for an employer that clearly and observably values its relationship with its employees. So, in prepping for your interviews, you compose this question, and you set out to ask it to anyone who will listen, every time the chance arises:
“Can you share with me a few specific examples of employee programs, benefits, or perks offered here that might best represent the organizational culture here?”
Then, listen up. But to be sure you’ll recognize a good answer when you hear one, I suggest you read the February 8, 2010 Fortune Magazine's "Best 100 Companies To Work For" article. Here’s how some of those employers would answer that question:
- Wegman’s Food Markets would say: We over 36,000 employees, and have been in business for 94 years. And in all those years, we have never had a layoff. In 94 years. And more than 4000 of our current employees have been with us for over 15 years.
- Baptist Health South Florida would say: We just put $2mm into a new benefits program that focuses on work / life balance, leadership development, and employee retention. The $2MM includes funds for a three-year retention program that pays out retention bonuses of $1500 - $4000 annually to employees who stay with us.
- Nustar Energy would say: We have a no layoff policy, free health insurance for employees and their families, an old-fashioned defined benefit pension plan for all employees, and a turnover rate of 3%.
- Whole Foods would say: Salary cap limits are in place here that restrict the top wage earners in the company to making no more than 19 times the average hourly employee rate.
- American Fidelity Assurance would say: We have over 1500 employees, and over 25% of them have been here longer than 15 years.
- Adobe Systems would say: For one week every May, we have what we call Community Action Week. During this week, our employees are free to volunteer for public service projects - across the world. Also, based on tenure, our employees can become eligible for periodic 6-week paid sabbaticals.
- And the big winner, SAS in North Carolina, would say: We have a campus here that includes a 66,000 square foot fitness center and swimming pool complex, and an on-site medical center with 4 doctors and 10 nurse practitioners – both are free. The health care facility doesn’t even have a billing department. On-site childcare is available to all at a steep discount, along with summer camps for our employees’ kids on campus. 90% of health care premiums are paid by the company, and all employees are granted unlimited sick days. And our turnover rate is the lowest in the software industry: 2%.
I’m curious: What’s the best answer YOUR employer would give?
