How you can get your company on the list of Best Places to Work

Is your company doing all it can to attract and retain the best and brightest employees?

Many companies still believe that all it takes to attract the best and brightest job applicants is to offer a competitive salary and benefits. Smarter companies have learned that, these days, it takes much more. Which of these sound like your company?

Beyond salary, companies must strive to build an environment that considers many important elements, including work-life balance, opportunities for career development and advancement, training and office culture. Axia Public Relations is here to help with tips for how to promote your workplace excellence and culture as well as earn award recognition as one of the Best Places to Work.

How to create a better workplace:

Companies like Google and Yahoo receive attention for perks like office bowling alleys and free food. However, for some businesses, these kinds of bonuses are simply not feasible. That doesn’t mean you should give up the quest to satisfy your employees; it just means you must find other ways to improve your company culture and retain top staff.

Make your company a place that employees feel good about.

This includes aspects such as standing behind your core values and working to enhance your reputation.

Example: Johnson and Johnson publicizes itself as a family company and proves it. For instance, employees receive paid sabbaticals, child care and concierge services to help them get chores done.

Encourage employees to learn and grow. Your customers feel engaged and connected when you add value at each point of the buyer’s journey. The same is true for employees. Demonstrate your support for their improvement by offering opportunities and/or reimbursement for additional training and education.

Example: The J.M. Smucker Company offers employees 100 percent tuition reimbursement, with no cap.

Provide opportunities for career advancement and performance recognition. When employees have the chance to move up within your company, they may be less likely to seek that fulfillment elsewhere.

Examples: Microsoft offers a mentoring program. Boeing helps employees move up the corporate ladder with programs that allow them to get the skills they need for the jobs they want next. EA Loans has a program that lets employees recognize each other for exceptional work.

Help employees maintain an ideal work/life balance. Everyone has to work, but the job shouldn’t encompass one’s whole life. Successful companies understand this and make sure their employees are taken care of both professionally and personally.

Examples: 3M Company offers child and elder care consulting services, stress management coaching and a medical clinic on-site. Mattel helps employees pay for adoption services and gives paid time off for school-related absences like parent-teacher conferences.

What you can do to gain recognition for your workplace culture:

Get your employees to help spread the word. Encourage all employees to participate in online review sites such as Glassdoor.com.

Create separate social media accounts to highlight your office culture. It could be called “Working at (Your Company)” or “A Week in the Life at (Your Company).” You can use this to show off your special perks such as photos of employees dropping off kids at your on-site daycare or your swanky office layout.

Give people a look inside. You can host an open house for the public and news media or create a video to use on your website and post on YouTube.

Hire a PR firm to help you. The right PR agency can take a look at your office culture, pinpoint its unique features and strengths and identify the best vehicles for publicity.

At Axia, we will work to promote your workplace culture initiatives and use this recognition to increase your visibility, reputation and profits. Contact us today or register for our free 60-Second Impact for more tools and tips to grow your business.

 

Lisa Goldsberry is a writer for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business, higher education and technology PR. Connect with Axia Public Relations on Twitter