You take a week off work to deal with a family emergency. When you return, you’re told to contact the Human Resources Department. The voice on the phone is devoid of human feelings. You’re instructed to fax proof to substantiate your absence. What would be acceptable as proof—a copy of the emergency room bill or how about a receipt from the funeral parlor? Why do you need proof? Can’t you hear it in my voice? Isn’t my word good enough?
Archaic company policies spell out sick time benefits. If you’re out sick for more than two days, you’ll need to bring in a doctor’s note to excuse your absence. You think you’re caught in a time warp, traveling back to your days in elementary school. Next thing they’ll ask is for your mommy to sign off on your quarterly performance reports.
Sadly, these types of heartless interactions are typically encountered in bureaucratic organizations. Although not necessarily motivated by malice, these companies are blinded by their need for efficiency. It takes courage to break out of this rigid mindset and relinquish the need for control. Most of all, it takes spirit to esteem employees as human beings with meaningful lives beyond work.
Cult Brand Southwest Airlines is the champion of cultivating a world-class culture. At Southwest, if you have a baby, you’ll receive a joyous note of congratulations. If there’s a death in your family, you’ll receive communication filled with heartfelt condolences. If you’re out sick because of a serious illness, you’ll receive a phone call every two weeks to see how you’re doing.
Founder and former chairman Herb Kelleher once said, “We could have made more money if we furloughed people. But we don’t do that. And we honor them constantly. Our people know that if they are sick, we will take care of them. If there are occasions of grief or joy, we will be there with them. They know that we value them as people, not just cogs in a machine.”
Kelleher guided Southwest by these principles for nearly 30 years, and the public is finally catching on. A recent survey by the National Consumers League shows that customers are paying more attention to the way employers treat their employees. In fact, 76% of Americans indicated that a company’s treatment of its employees is a major factor in deciding whether or not to patronize that company.
Like Southwest, the entertaining financial information provider The Motley Fools knows the value of honoring their employees, especially in celebrating life’s milestones. While many parents need to fight for their rights to take time off, The Fools give new moms and dads 8 to 12 weeks off at 100% pay. Knowing that new parents barely have enough time for themselves, they provide $400 worth of take-out meals at the company’s expense. The Fools even offer a lactation program, including home consultation and telephone/email support, to help ease the transition to parenthood.
Companies that prioritize policies over people are destined for mediocrity. Great companies focus on human values rather than by-the-book operations and procedures. If you treat your employees with love and respect, you can trust that your customers will be privileged with the same.
Honor your employees as human beings, rather than automatons ready to serve at any cost. They have a name, a face, and most of all, a beating heart.