We have just been named a Great Place to Work by The Washington Business Journal, and as Kaitlin so eloquently put it, we already new that. Coincidentally an article was published at about the same time in Talent Management Magazine about lessons learned from the most admired companies, and it got me thinking about what we can do to continue building a company for which people want to work.
If you read the article in Talent Management, you notice a major theme of admired companies. Thepeople. Admired companies include people in decision-making, develop people, and manage people performance well. We certainly try very hard to do those things, especially when it comes to creating an environment in which people want to work hard, learn something new every day, and create great products that help our customers succeed.
I wonder if the secret to creating a great place to work lies in the company consciously creating this kind of environment or does the secret lie in hiring great people who by default will make a company a great place to work. It is probably a healthy portion of both. However, one thing is certain: its primarily the people who create a great place to work.
Since it is the people who make a company a great place work, I spend my time working with the team to figure out how to put programs in place that not only help people succeed in their current job, but also help them develop skills and knowledge that will benefit people in their overall career. Therefore, Knowland University is not just a place for job training, but a place where Knowland employees and clients can go to learn new skills that they can use in their careers. That is one way in which Knowland University contributes to creating a great place to work.
