Notice: Undefined index: speakers in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 122
Notice: Trying to get property 'custom_fields' of non-object in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 180
Notice: Trying to get property 'custom_fields' of non-object in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 182
Notice: Trying to get property 'custom_fields' of non-object in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 183
Notice: Trying to get property 'custom_fields' of non-object in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 184
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$referenced_profile_fulltext in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 185
Notice: Trying to get property 'id' of non-object in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 186
Notice: Trying to get property 'catid' of non-object in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 186
Notice: Trying to get property 'custom_fields' of non-object in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 187
Notice: Trying to get property 'custom_fields' of non-object in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 189
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$content in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 227
Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$content in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 246
Notice: Undefined property: Joomla\CMS\User\User::$image in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 284
It’s amazing how much you learn in college, and how much you subsequently forget. For instance, I remember that I once read the entire Marx Engels reader. The content, however, I can barely recollect.
There was one crucial point that I did manage to retain- and that is the importance of employee satisfaction; how critical it is to one’s personal happiness to take pride in one’s work.
Karl Marx discussed the role of machinery in factories and the inevitable dissatisfaction of working on an assembly line. Marx maintained that in order for a cobbler to truly be fulfilled in life, he needed to produce his product in whole. For example, a shoemaker needs to inspect a completed pair of shoes, to know that someone else will derive satisfaction from slipping that pair of shoes on their feet and wearing them around town. A shoemaker needs to know that this was a direct result of his hard work. A monotonous role on an assembly line simply won’t cut it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking efficiency. Efficiency is crucial to be competitive in today’s market. But I am wary of companies whose appetite for efficiency and profits are at the expense of employee satisfaction. As demonstrated in the shoemaker analogy, contributing to one’s fellow man gives us a sense of pride. It is up to the employer to connect each employee to the final product or end goal, and to help employees understand how their contribution betters society. I firmly believe that a paycheck without pride is detrimental to job satisfaction and overall life fulfillment.
I take great pride in the work that I do at GPTW; I help companies create a workplace culture where their employees also take pride in their work and derive satisfaction each and every day. I know this is happening because I see it time and time again in the companies featured on our Best Companies to Work For lists. The 2011 Best Small and Medium Workplaces list, which will be announced on the 18th of October, is no exception. Whether it takes the form of the CEO sharing client praise with employees or donating serious resources to helping the local community, these Best Companies know the importance of pride.
To further illustrate the point, I would like to leave you with some fast facts: This year’s Best Small & Medium Workplaces donated over 14 million dollars in community contributions last year alone. Now that is something to take pride in. In fact, 19 of the 50 Best offer a one-to-one matching program for employee contributions to the community. This certainly shows that some companies return the favor- and take pride in their employees’ work as well.
How do your leaders encourage Pride?
- Blog
- 3 Predictions for Workplace Culture: Insights from 20 Years of Fortune 100 Best Companies
- 6 Effective Ways to Show Employees You Appreciate Them
- 21 Ways to Celebrate Your Best Workplace Status
- New Year, New Things to Learn! Dare Yourself!
- How Top Professional Firms Put Employee Development First
- Corporate Culture: Love Is All You Need
- Announcing the 2017 Workplaces that Care Video Contest!
- Want to Engage Millennial Employees? Prioritize Giving Back.
- How Company Values Protect Culture in Times of Growth
Notice: Undefined property: Joomla\CMS\User\User::$image in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 420
Notice: Undefined property: Joomla\CMS\User\User::$bio in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 428
Lizelle Festejo
Notice: Undefined property: Joomla\CMS\User\User::$bio in /var/www/html/templates/gptw/html/com_content/article/default.php on line 443
Most Popular
Hannah Elise Jones
China Gorman
Peter Barnes
China Gorman
China Gorman
Featured
Teresa Iafolla
Ed Frauenheim and Shawn Murphy
Jason Slusher
Sharlyn Lauby
Recommended
By Great Place to Work
By Cheral Stewart
By Great Place to Work
By Teresa Iafolla
By Chinwe Onyeagoro