What makes a good company to work for?
What do employees think those qualities are?
Especially in today’s competitive market in Guam, benefits are an important part of the puzzle.
But company culture inevitably plays a part. Communication is vital. As are relationships that encourage that communication up and down and at all levels. If you say, ‘My door is always open,’ it helps to really mean it, and be available to one and all.
Employees view themselves as representing the company, particularly in the service industry and where they deal with the public.
Being out of stock has been a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a mainland strike can have the same effect. If an employee can tell a customer with authority they expect their favorite product within a week, that’s easier for them and better for developing customer loyalty.
There are a few things that employees value most of all.
At the top of these are office relationships with their co-workers and team members. A nice bunch of people is often what turns the newcomer into a veteran long-term employee.
And thanking an employee for their hard work should be a no-brainer for managers.
Many companies talk about their company as a family. Employees will know whether that’s true or not. Federal and local laws govern treatment of employees, but the ability and sensitivity to go beyond that is seen by employees as a tangible benefit also.
Physical offices can play a part in employee retention also. A lack of employee parking is one of the things that rose to the top of the list of negatives in previous years.
Human resources professionals have a constantly changing role – keeping up with legal issues and voicing their own opinions on everything from those essential employee benefits to best policies and practices in the work environment.
Thanks go to our Partner – the Society for Human Resources Guam Chapter – for the insight on The Best Companies to Work For survey in this issue.
To see how your company measures up against our participating organizations, read on.
During Typhoon Mawar, one of our gateway facilities that saw damage was the Port of Guam. The typhoon affected not only the gantry cranes that off-load goods, but the port’s communication devices. We take an up close and personal look at how the port is doing now, and what it plans for the future in its revised five-year plan, as well as talk to the port’s partners – the essential players in the shipping industry.
As to how our island did after Typhoon Mawar, the jury’s still out in Guam. But there will be an opportunity for essential government agencies to share their essential policies, typhoon preparations and plans – or lack of them.
Maureen N. Maratita is the publisher at Glimpses Media. Publications at Glimpses Media include the Marianas Business Journal, MBJ Life, The Real Estate Journal, Guam Business Magazine, Beach Road Magazine, Buenas and Drive Guam.
