Highlights from Day 2 of the Great Place to Work Conference
The 2012 Great Place to Work Conference was my first chance to attend the event and my expectations were overwhlemingly exceeded. I walked away energized by speakers and attendees alike, and with newfound knowledge in my pocket. Both keynotes and breakout sessions contained a wealth of information and myriad tips on how companies have successfully improved their workplace cultures- including practical advice that we can;t wait to share with you over the next few weeks!
In the meantime, here are a few highlights from Thursday's keynotes by Clarence Otis, CEO of Darden Restaurants and Tom Folliard, President and CEO of CarMax. What better topics to discuss than the health and happiness of your employees?
Clarence Otis, Darden Restaurants(@DardenGroup on Twitter)
Clarence Otis gave a compelling speech on not only the cutlure at Darden, but also the company's commitment to health and sustainability. Not only is Darden working towards developing their own employees' talents and overall health and happiness, but they have included the community and the planet is this ambitious endeavor as well. Darden has committed to reducing water and energy consumption in each of its restaurants by 15% by the year 2015. The company also plans on reducing the amount of calories on their menu by 10% in five years, 20% in ten years, as well as the overall amount of sodium. For a company producing over 50 million pounds of prepared food, this contributes to the health of us all!
Tom Folliard, CarMax (@CarMax on Twitter)
The first impression you get from the President and CEO of CarMax is that he is incredibly down to earth. It is this very practicality that has made CarMax so successful and a Best Company. For example, when Tom Folliard invests in his employees, he understands a company needs to do more than just provide the training and tools neccesary for the job. He understands the employee needs to have fun, too. To illustrate the point, Tom shared with us a hilarious video that upper management created for employees. Afterall, if you can't have a good laugh with your boss, how can you ever expect to create a great workplace?
Cheers to an amazing 2012 Great Place to Work Conference!
Click here to purchase the full video recordings of the 2012 Conference Keynote Speakers.
Tiffany Barber is the Associate Manager of Marketing and Communications and guest blogger for Great Place to Work®.
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