Our Examples of “Enviable” Workplace Culture

While a top-notch workplace culture is enviable, it also sets an example for what other organizations should strive to achieve. Tim Stevens wrote in his FastCompany article, “There is nothing worse than working in an organization that has a bad culture. It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how many weeks of vacation you are given; when you work in a toxic environment, you still come home tense and stressed at the end of each day.” Stevens is on point; I felt miserable on a daily basis during one of my first “real” job experiences (and no, it wasn’t at The Motley Fool).

Stevens goes on to list 12 traits that suggest your organization is among those with a fantastic culture. Here are a few that resonate with our organization:

1. Turnover is Low.

We want our employees to be Fools for life. Our turnover rate is less than 2%, which is remarkable by industry standards. We go to great lengths to ensure Fools’ happiness, whether it’s ordering gluten-free pizzas to celebrate monthly birthdays or building out more quiet spaces in our office. Foolish coaches also hold regular “Happiness Check-Ins” to chat with Fools about their work-life balance. Low employee turnover means you’re at least doing something right.

 

2. Team Members are Energized by the Mission.

Fools are passionate about our mission – “To Help the World Invest – Better.” You can feel the energy here, as well as from Fools all over the world. We have full-time Fools based in Canada, Germany, Australia, and Singapore that are all working passionately toward the same goal. When Fools are excited about projects, productivity levels rise to new heights. Creativity can also inflate, adding more valuable ideas to the mix.

3. It’s Not Just a Job.

Fools are not only excited to come to work, but they’re also enthusiastic about Foolish extracurriculars. Fools are friends too, so attending happy hours, concerts, plays, and other cultural events in the area aren’t foreign concepts. In fact, we actually enjoy spending time with our coworkers. We’re not running toward the door to exit right at 5PM (…we do have a flexible schedule), and it’s kind of refreshing from the corporate norm. A work environment is definitely more positive when it has this type of ambience.

4. People are Smiling. 

Fools are shiny, happy people (and some are music lovers, too). Our Office Ops team does a great job of keeping FoolHQ an upbeat environment. These creative Fools host activities to all scales, from smaller touches like pushing around snack carts to planning larger events including our annual Holiday Party and company retreat called Foolapalooza.

5. Communication is Strong.

Though communication can always be enhanced, The Motley Fool strives to keep our conversations transparent. It’s important that your employees stay on the same page with what’s relevant, be it your company numbers or external conference opportunities. Fools are happier when information is provided instead of hidden, even if something is in the works. Simply stating “We’re working on it, but we wanted to let you know…” can make all the difference.

Interested in checking out the other qualities that make a workplace enviable and one of a kind? Click here to read more.

Employee Engagement Matters

After uploading a new Foolosophy video on the importance of Foolish recognition, we were delighted to see a sweet shout-out from our friends at YouEarnedIt. We implemented their employee engagement tool last year and Fools have been big fans since day one. This online app allows Fools to recognize fellow coworkers for jobs well done with “gold,” which can later be cashed in for prizes. So what’s in our YouEarnedIt redemption vault? Some pretty amazing stuff like Amazon gift cards, subscriptions to BarkBox and Beer of the Month Club, SouthWest Airlines vouchers, and much more! High-value rewards include a trip to our FoolUK office in London and a 3 day weekend in NYC for two.

While these prizes are awesome, it’s the reason behind why Fools give gold that really matters. Even the little tasks deserve recognition, and now we can thank fellow Fools through YouEarnedIt. A public feed is active all day long so that we can keep up with the great work Fools are doing all over the world. In just a year, nearly 13,000 pieces of recognition have been sent – wow!

Receiving and sending gold excites Fools, plus our prizes inspire everyone to work even harder. Happy employees lead to a more engaged work environment and that’s what we’re all striving for, right?

Sharing Strategies with Glassdoor

We’re featured on Glassdoor’s Recruiting Blog today to share our top 5 strategies for how to be a better place to work. We spill (some) of our secrets for enhancing employee engagement, company transparency, and workplace culture. You don’t want to miss out, so click here to read our tips!

Do you have any advice that can help organizations improve for the better? Please share below, and don’t forget to Fool On!

 

Unveiling our #Foolosophy Video Series

Since we’re constantly striving to spread the word about Foolish culture, our latest endeavor is pretty darn exciting. Introducing Foolosophies, a peek into life at FoolHQ through interviews with the Fools that know our company best. This video series uncovers answers to many questions about the Fool, from the importance of core values to our Foolanthropy tradition; different collaboration opportunities; and the 411 on our insurance benefits.

Do you feel like your organization is in need of a culture makeover? These videos provide valuable information that could inspire you to make a big change. Fools share their best tips for accommodating different types of workspaces; fostering transparent communication; and holding companywide events like Pizza Day and Cake Day – for a purpose!

More #Foolosophy videos are in production, but we’d love your feedback! Is there a question that you’re dying to have answered? Comment below and we’ll take it into consideration! Wondering how to see such great content? See our Menu above – and click “Foolosophy.”

Fool On, Foolish readers!

GLASSDOOR NAMES US THE BEST MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANY TO WORK FOR IN THE US (AGAIN!)

Have you heard the exciting news? Glassdoor has named us the #1 company to work for in America – for the second year in a row! Out of more than 125,000 companies eligible to win, The Motley Fool was ranked highest by those who know best – our Foolish employees.

Winners were determined based entirely on accurate and approved company reviews submitted to Glassdoor between November 13, 2013 and November 2, 2014. All of the reviews remain absolutely anonymous, and The Motley Fool took the top spot on the list for companies with fewer than 1,000 employees.

What makes a company the best place to work? Besides a motivating company mission, employee engagement and workplace culture are also major factors. Head People Fool Lee Burbage adds,”We don’t believe perks drive our employee engagement, but feeling like your leadership team cares about you and what you want or need to be happy does drive engagement.” Our CEO Tom Gardner and a few other Fools share more in this exciting video:

 

Thanks to Fools near and far that contributed to our success. Fool On!

Coffee Brews Conversation

I hear a lot of chatter about coffee at FoolHQ, but the buzz doesn’t always revolve around the need for caffeine. As an opportunity to connect, Fools are encouraged to request Starbucks gift cards sponsored by The Motley Fool. In return, Fools must treat a fellow coworker – ideally one they don’t know well – to a drink. Though there’s definitely a monthly card limit, some Fools don’t mind to fund Starbucks runs on their own dime every once in a while. You could say that coffee meetings are a popular part of our culture, to say the least.

Our CEO Tom Gardner envisions more to this benefit than just a free soy latte. Introducing the idea at a company-wide huddle last year, Tom encouraged using the cards as a chance to learn about others’ projects; identify best practices Fools use; and collaborate on challenges or ideas. Fool Amy Dykstra approximates that she hands out around 10 gift cards per month.

Jerry Seinfeld also recognizes room for great communication in a cup of coffee. In fact, it’s the focus of his successful Emmy-nominated web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Seinfeld explains, “…why it’s great to meet someone for a cup of coffee — the ease, the simplicity, the compactness. And that it also obviously gets people talking. You have coffee and for some reason it makes you talk a lot.” Whether or not you order coffee, tea, or a glass of water, it’s the conversation that counts.

While Jerry Seinfeld hosts his guests in cars, Tom and David Gardner hold a monthly event at FoolHQ called “New Fool Coffees.” Spending an hour together with our founders, recent hires are able to learn more about our company and ask tons of questions. Conversations can travel anywhere from Tom’s favorite drink to what inspired his team’s latest stock pick. Starbucks – or FoolHQ conference rooms – are hot spots for Fools, but the location shouldn’t stop you from incorporating this idea into your company’s culture. And it doesn’t even have to be about a coffee drink, either. Simply encourage employees to leave their desks, welcoming the idea that a fresh environment can inspire new and valuable thoughts.

Engaging others through stimulating conversation – caffeinated or not – is important. A quick sit down can allow for new concepts to brew and employees to mesh together, both of which will benefit your organization. Steven Johnson reinforces, “We take ideas from other people, from people we’ve learned from, from people we run into in the coffee shop, and we stitch them together into new forms and we create something new. That’s really where innovation happens.”

Why Companies Shouldn’t Limit Sick Days

Here’s a simple idea from our CEO Tom Gardner: Stop providing limited sick days for your employees. It’s flu season, so Tom’s thoughts are all the more relevant – and urgent – now.

Match our yearlong approach at The Motley Fool: if an employee is feeling sick, tell them to please stay home. It seems like common sense, but Tom outlines four reasons why an unlimited sick policy is worth it in case you’re on the fence:

1. Protect Your People.
2. Extend Trust.
3. Review Your Purpose.
4. Manage to High Performance.

Instead of the flu, make freedom and trust contagious at your organization. To read more on Tom’s points, view his latest LinkedIn Influencer post here. And don’t be afraid to forward this information along to your CEO or Head of HR! Allowing employees to stay home when they’re ill will ultimately make your organization stronger – and much healthier.

Fools are Friends, Too

Collaboration is one of The Motley Fool’s core values, so it’s not surprising that I see examples in motion everyday. For instance, Member Services Fools comprise a joint force, tackling tough questions daily to serve members’ needs. Tech Fools keep our sites up and running 24/7, and Foolish investors always strive to provide the best financial advice. I could keep these illustrations flowing, but there’s plenty of proof that teamwork is effective with synergy and a clear sense of understanding. Here at the Fool, we’re all working toward the same mission: To Help the World Invest – Better.

It’d be tough to argue against the idea that a workplace is more enjoyable when you’re surrounded by coworkers you appreciate and respect. After being here for nearly 3 years, I’ve noticed that the title of “Fool” typically spans beyond a basic description of “coworker.” Many of our employees share friendships outside of the office, from playing on a local softball team to hitting up concerts on the weekends. Though we’re a quickly growing company, Tom Gardner has challenged all Fools to know our fellow employees’ names. I know it’s not realistic for everyone to be best friends, but a more productive work environment is encouraged through positivity.

There’s an argument that close work relationships can be distracting, but how many projects would be unsuccessful if there weren’t some level of shared camaraderie? In 1997, university researchers set out to learn whether friendships improved team performance. They split students into groups of either close friends or acquaintances. The researchers discovered that “the friends outperformed the acquaintances in both instances. The reasons: friends were more committed to the projects at the outset, they communicated better while working and they gave their teammates free-flowing positive feedback.”

I’d be willing to bet that not much would change in terms of this study’s results today. The Motley Fool values our culture of trust, but sadly this belief doesn’t flow across all organizations. Some workplaces are strictly meant for work, making it difficult for friendships to even form.  Trust leads to loyalty and if this equation also inspires friendship, that’s extra icing on the cake.

Where do you weigh in? Is the office for work or can friends be made there, too?

Tom Gardner Talks Company Culture at GoogleHQ

“All of the greatest companies want their people to succeed.” It’s true! Learn more from Tom Gardner’s presentation at Google HQ about the importance of investing in your organization’s culture. Don’t have time to watch the video? Here are Tom’s four takeaways:

1. Name your own value.

2. Know everyone’s name at your company – learn as many name’s as possible.

3. Connect with people outside of your company.

4. Craft your own job.

To learn more about Tom’s points in detail, read his full article here.