A company with a positive self-image and sense of pride will be more unifi ed and effi cient, with a stronger “employer brand.” When employees respect and appreciate the organization they work for, then their productivity, quality of work, and job satisfaction increase. The idea Are your employees proud of working for your business? This sense of pride may result from the organization’s purpose, success, ethics, the quality of its leadership, or the quality and impact of its products.
An example of this is Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), a leading market information company, with over 14,000 full-time employees across the world. It collects, analyzes, and interprets information for clients, provides research on business and market issues, and conducts social and political polling. The fi rm’s network spans 70 countries, and has been largely assembled through acquisition.
Consequently, employees were often more loyal to their local “in-country” TNS business than to the group, which seemed remote or foreign. However, when one of its executives was caught in the tsunami in South Asia in December 2004, TNS donated $250,000 to UNICEF to aid relief operations. This altruism brought the company together, as employees were pleased to be working for an organization with values that they respected. 3 MAKING YOUR EMPLOYEES PROUD 111175-100 GI Business.indd 7 1/5/09 10:38:10 8 • 100 GREAT BUSINESS IDEAS As TNS illustrates, simple and positive gestures can achieve impressive results in terms of employee satisfaction, pride, and motivation.
Conclusion
In practice • Carry out acts of corporate social responsibility—such as donation, fundraising, or simply enacting more compassionate business practices. These all serve to make current and potential employees feel proud to work with your organization. • Ask employees what they value—what would they like their employer to do? • Provide opportunities for employees to engage in fundraising and volunteering activities. • Avoid negative business practices
