Free «Three of 100 Best Companies to Work For» Essay Sample

Employee performance largely determines organizational performance. Therefore, managerial departments should ensure that employees are satisfied at the workplace. In addition, incorporating activities that improve the workers’ motivation is essential to enhance their performance. This essay discusses three of the top 100 best companies, namely Container Store, Southern Ohio Medical Centre, and NuStar Energy, and analyzes how they enhance employee satisfaction.

Container Store, ranked number fourteen, has a conducive environment that enhances employee motivation. First, the company offers tenure to its employees as a reward. The primary award is granted to employees who have worked with the company for twenty years (“Announcing the 2016 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For,” 2016). In this case, employees receive two air tickets and are free to travel to the destination of their choice within the US. In addition, employees obtain gifts and cards, and bosses congratulate them on Valentine’s Day. Container Store does this to recognize the accomplishments of their workers and motivate them towards achieving more.

Further, Southern Ohio Medical Centre is ranked 29^th among the top 100 Companies. This company has several wellness programs for their employees. For instance, they have weight loss problems. They even reward the employees who have reached certain targets that concern the healthy lifestyle (“Announcing the 2016 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For,” 2016). Some of the rewards may provide the winners with free membership in wellness centers. Furthermore, this organization has a habit of supporting their staff in terms of education. For instance, they offer scholarship programs to some of their employees seeking to study degrees and masters. They support them financially by covering their school fees as well as providing them with free study hours. Besides, they have scholarships that help the children of their employees, particularly those who need assistance.

Finally, NuStar Energy, ranked 19^th, is also among the best companies that one can work for. The company has a program called Bright Star, which allows employees to share suggestions and ideas on how to improve the company. Employees who give valuable ideas are rewarded with certain amounts of cash as well as appreciation certificates (“Announcing the 2016 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For,” 2016). The degree of reward depends on the profitability of the idea. Moreover, this organization organizes family days, during which their employees go with their families to particular venues. Here, they can have plenty of food, fun activities and socializing. As such, the employees get to know each other better beyond job levels (Rudani, 2013).

Some of the strategies applied by these companies to enhance employee motivation closely relate to the lessons learned in class. For instance, according to Homans’s Exchange Theory, people engage in various activities with a certain motive. He argues that human beings do certain things after weighing the reward they will have in return (“Attraction to Groups,” n.d). In the case of Container Store, a persona may decide, for example, to work for the company for twenty years to receive the two free flights to a place of their dream. One may persevere all the challenges he or she may face in the company because of this reward. The employees in Southern Ohio Medical Centre may strive to achieve wellness goals so that they can receive free membership. Therefore, the workers can stay motivated because their efforts will be rewarded. Another lesson learned in class was cohesion. Employees need the spirit of togetherness for them to be productive. For this reason, companies like NuStar Energy organize events for the employees and their families to foster their social relations (“Group Cohesiveness,” n.d). The employees interact more during these events, which boosts their relations and, consequently, team performance.

In conclusion, employee motivation is a crucial factor in any organization. Workers can be motivated through rewards, scholarships, and events. According to the Exchange Theory, people are likely to perform better if they know they will receive an reward for their achievements. Therefore, organizations should embrace activities that motivate their employees, since this will enhance their performance.