Strategic Management (Part 3):

Four Ingredients for a Winning Company Culture

by Ben Kirshner

When Elite SEM was named the Best Agency of 2013 at the inaugural U.S. Search Awards (associated with PubCon Las Vegas, an event supported by SEMPO), our entire team was proud to have our leadership in the search space recognized. But personally, I’m even more proud that the recognition helps validate our people and our company culture.

It feels like all the hard work and sacrifice of the last nine years is paying off in a big way: we are now well on our way to accomplishing our company’s core purpose, which is to create great lives for great people.

Any  business owner knows, that’s easier said than done. How do you get great results while also creating an environment people actually want to work in?

Here are a few facets of our culture that you too can use to motivate your team to succeed — today, and hopefully, for years to come:

Put core values first

As the founder and CEO of Elite SEM, I believe that hiring for culture is just as important as, say, hiring for online marketing and account management skills. A large part of being a business owner and running a successful agency is making sure your employees are happy and being compensated well. You can train and hire the top talent in your space, but retaining those people is what will make your clients and customers successful.

I believe that core values provide the framework for real company success.

Empower your employees to manage their schedules

I strive to make my employees happier than they would be at other companies or agencies in many ways. But the first thing any employee of Elite would probably tell you about is that our company allows unlimited vacation time, personal days and sick days.  Want to take a two-week trip to India or Tokyo? Or want to take a Friday off to head to Gainesville to see the Gators play on Saturday?

No problem — as long as all of the work you are responsible for is completed or accounted for, and someone else on your team will be able to cover and is up-to-date on your clients and projects, take as much time off as you want!  This policy has been in place since day one, and remains one of the benefits hires get most excited about.

Whatever specific policy your company goes with, the bottom line is that you need to empower your employees to own their results, actually increasing productivity and improving morale.

Give them free lunches

When employees aren’t traveling, they are provided free lunch as well as unlimited coffee, tea, and healthy snacks. We agree with top tech companies like Google and Twitter, where free lunch definitely keeps employees happy, feeling valued and forming closer bonds with other coworkers.

A lot of readers will probably see this and think, “I can’t afford to do this.” But let’s do the math:

20 days a month x $12/day= $240/month per employee

Now, do the math on replacing an employee who is poached by another company.  I know it costs me way more than $10,000 to replace, rehire, find and onboard alone — not to mention the lost hours of productivity when people leave and buy their own lunch.

Don’t hire employees — look for owners

Every employee of Elite SEM is also an owner of Elite SEM.  In addition to employees holding equity in the company, we compensate account managers better than the industry average by giving them a percentage of the profit they generate for the company. Bonus: this keeps their goals in line with their clients’ goals.

Consider a compensation plan or an employee ownership arrangement that will not just attract great people, but inspire them to work hard for the long haul.

* * *

My goal is for every person at Elite to feel they are part of a successful, coordinated and supportive team. I also want them to feel a sense of gratitude and humility at the chance to work with some of the best online brands, but that has to start with leadership at the top. A commitment to happy people is our top priority.

What perks do you offer that help keep employees motivated at your company?

Fuente: Forbes


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