#Follow Friday – Southwest Airlines

For my first official #Follow Friday (#FF) company post I have chosen Southwest Airlines. I have spent a lot of time with them over the last 5 years, not as an employee but as a customer.  I was definitely a road warrior back in the day.  In one year, I flew SWA so much that I earned enough rapid reward credits for a companion pass and take my family of five to Hawaii (which took 2 free flights each).  I maintained the companion pass for three years – that’s a lot of flying.  So while I’ve never worked for the company, I have spent a lot of time with their employees.

My first clue that Southwest is a company that really values their employees came from the flight attendants.  On every flight there is a time when the flight attendants jobs are done and they sit at the front and chat.  I often sat up front and could hear the conversation.  Not one time, in hundreds of flights, did I hear a bad word about the company.  Not one.  I heard about employee appreciation days or new benefits they were offering or how excited they were about this change or that one.  Southwest is praised for their customer service and it’s easy to see why.  Happy employees provide great service.

For more proof that Southwest values their employees, you only have to look to the various media outlets they utilize to share the LUV.  Whether you read the in-flight magazine, the blog or the twitter feed, you will always find proof of how important their employees are to them.  The commercials showcasing what has become their best tag line ever (in my opinion)  “Grab your Bag. It’s On!” use actual employees as the actors.  Many companies I know would be too afraid to put an employee in a commercial and have them quit a week later.  Their employees are empowered to make the job their own and infuse their personality into every day.  I could give numerous examples of this, but if you’ve flown them for any amount of time, I’m sure you’ve seen it.  Read their annual report on their Southwest Cares program and you will find their employees recognized and praised throughout.

A quote from CEO, Gary Kelly on their company website states, “Our people are our single greatest strength and most enduring long term competitive advantage.”  According to the website, Southwest is the United States’ most successful low-fare, high frequency, point-to-point carrier. Southwest operates more than 3,300 flights a day coast-to-coast, making it the largest U.S. carrier based on domestic passengers carried as of September 30, 2009.  The recession has hit everyone, but Southwest remains strong and all the credit is given to their employees.  Employees don’t work that hard if they aren’t engaged.  Southwest is a major force when it comes to employee engagement and a great model for other companies.

“It’s On!”

#Follow Friday – a new twist

First, for those of you not on Twitter, Follow Friday (#FF) is a way for people to suggest/recommend/promote someone on Twitter that they think you should follow.  It happens every Friday with thousands of #FF tweets.

Beginning next Friday (July 23rd), I am going to devote my Follow Friday’s to businesses who I think get “it”.  Companies that understand that their best assets are their employees and as such, ensure effort is made to understand, motivate and enrich will be written about in a brief post and then promoted on #FF.  I’m talking about companies who not only talk about how important employee engagement and morale is, but actually focus on it.  Recognizing companies in this way gives potential employees and customers insight into what really goes on behind the scenes and could influence a positive decision in the company’s favor.  It also gives other employers ideas that could really help impact their overall morale.

Here are a few things that help me identify if a company get’s it:

• Work-life balance isn’t just a buzz word, but is encouraged through creative scheduling, time off and overall flexibility when “life happens” to employees.
• Employee surveys are administered and the results are given high visibility at all levels of management.  Action plans are written to address problem areas and actually executed on.
• Communication is a core value and flows from the top down and the bottom up equally and often.
• Managers who lead by threat, fear and intimidation are not rewarded even if goals are being met.

Of course the list could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea.  I have a few companies who I feel fit the bill, based on either work I’ve done for them or just interaction from a customer standpoint.  There are thousands of companies out there however and I’m going to need help identifying the really good ones.  Do you know a company who truly values their employees?  If so, let me know and I’ll make sure they are recognized.