Building Employee Loyalty
By George Anderson
Sally Rynne, chief executive officer and founder of Health Newsletters Direct Inc., credits the success of her company to “attracting star performers and keeping them.”
Her methods are sometimes unusual, as in the case of her company’s program allowing parents to bring their babies to work.
“Allowing new parents to bring their babies to the office shows the respect I feel for employees and motivates them to go the extra mile for our client,” Rynne told the Chicago
Tribune.
Rynne began the program 14 years ago to make life and work easier for a valued employee. It worked well enough that the program grew. To date, 14 employees (13 moms and one dad)
and 25 babies have taken part.
“In the first three quarters of 2003, I spent over $100,000 for health insurance and $40,000 for a 401(k) match for employees. Most benefits are expensive, but not this one.”
“Why wouldn’t you provide a benefit that brings such a strong return?” she asked.
Moderator’s Comment: How can companies put the employee benefits to work more creatively to benefit employees?
Sally Rynne told the Chicago Tribune her philosophy was shaped largely by her experiences prior to starting Health Newsletters Direct. She said, “In 1977,
when I went to work full time as a recruiter of nurses for a hospital, I was constantly aware of how inflexible the workplace was.” –
George
Anderson – Moderator