By Barbara T. Armstrong
Who says corporate culture isn’t concrete? Not America’s best workplaces.
After three years of a frosty economy, the war for talent is heating back up. According to a recent survey by the National Association for Business Economics, the employment outlook by companies in the United States has soared to a 12-year high.
Moreover, attracting and retaining talent is “at the top of the agenda” for CEOs, according to the 2011 Annual Global CEO Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers. And now, reports The Wall Street Journal, many companies are launching employer-branding campaigns—designed to make a company seem like a desirable place to work—for the first time in several years. Why? Because “already companies are finding that the most skilled candidates are in short supply, and are difficult to find.”
So, if you’re a talent leader today, odds are, your mind—and your CEO’s mind—is on your company’s culture. But is it battle ready?
One critical component of corporate culture is a company’s workplace—the physical environment for its treasured talent. But here’s a news flash: many talent leaders don’t realize its increasing importance despite the fact it’s, quite literally, underfoot.
So, Kahler Slater, a global design enterprise, set out to study the physical environments of the Best Companies to Work For® in America: 150 organizations—small, medium, and large—recognized by the Great Place to Work® Institute. For talent leaders, these “Best Companies” are the ones to watch; they’re unsurpassed in attracting and retaining top talent and, accordingly, achieving formidable financial results.
Kahler Slater's research findings, from both surveys and site visits, reveal how "Best Companies," through four common characteristics, reflect and reinforce their culture in their physical environments.
1. External and internal brand alignment
The most successful brands provide an “experience”—an emotional engagement between a company and its customers. At the Best Companies, such an experience is also expressed internally. For employees, the dots connect; the brand, internally and externally, is aligned.
At Mattel, for example, where “play” is the toymaker’s brand, employees shuttle between buildings in a Hot Wheels van and showcase their favorite toys in their personal workspace. At Cascade Asset Management, an environmentally minded recycler of computer components, sustainability reigns supreme, from a wholly green headquarters to employee nameplates personally made from recycled computer pieces. And at JM Family Enterprises, a top owner of Toyota dealerships, the corporate campus bows to Japanese culture, including Japanese gardens, architecture, and artifacts.
2. A visible spirit of culture
Through countless choices, both big (office location) and small (interior signage), the spirit of a company’s culture is in plain sight. At the Best Companies, that spirit starts with first impressions—often from the outside in—and stays clear and consistent throughout the work environment.
For instance, at Genentech, the biotech giant’s headquarters is located on “DNA Way”—a nod to the company’s roots in genetic research—and outdoor banners put a human face, quite literally, on lives forever changed through the work of Genentech employees. At online retailer Zappos, the company’s open, non-hierarchical culture insists on cubicles for everyone—from Call Center reps to the CEO—and “fun and a little weird” workspaces that convey true individuality.
3. Gathering spaces to celebrate and build camaraderie
There is no corporate culture without community—people coming together to connect, celebrate, and create a spirit of camaraderie. At the Best Companies, gathering spaces are fundamental, like a town square in a village or a student union on a college campus. Some companies have large spaces, ideal for “all hands” meetings, while others have smaller spaces, adaptable and multifunctional.
At Ultimate Software, for example, a basketball court now occupies the HR software leader’s atrium lobby—a wager won by employees after meeting a mega sales goal set by their fun, sports-minded CEO. (The “UltiCourt” still serves as a lobby and reception area and is also a favorite spot for company-wide gatherings.) At Sage Products, the healthcare manufacturer uses its large café at lunchtime, when the company shuts its factory down to come together as a “family” and consciously connect business and manufacturing.
4. Visual storytelling that evokes pride and engages and recognizes people
Visual storytelling is a powerful tool. At the Best Companies, such “environmental branding” evokes company pride, engages and recognizes employees, and expands on the cultural narrative.
For instance, at Rackspace, a cloud computing company, employees created the world’s largest word-search puzzle—certified by Guinness World Records—to spotlight the firm’s values on a grand scale. At Sherwin-Williams, the paints and coatings giant, a museum-style tour of the company’s history graces the headquarters lobby, recognizing employees for their innovations and accomplishments through the decades.
So, you see, corporate culture can be, and is, quite concrete. Now, as a talent leader, it’s up to you to get it underfoot.
Barbara T. Armstrong is a principal at Kahler Slater, a global architecture, design, and consulting enterprise specializing in Total Experience Design™. An expert in integrating workplace design and communications strategies, she is a sought-after designer, consultant, and conference presenter. To request a copy of the white paper Great Culture, Great Workplace, email her at [email protected] .