For years, “the customer comes first” has been the mantra for business. Sometimes the shareholder has been held in equal esteem. But vendors and employees have rarely been viewed with the same reverence as these two.
But a new awareness is dawning. As staff shortages, bottlenecks and boomer retirements loom, it is becoming clear that we are entering an era where the order will be different – the employee will come first.
Of course, this is natural when you think about it: if you take care of the people who work for you, they’ll take care of customers, and when this is done well, shareholders will thrive.
I have been promting this idea for years and in my book ONE: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership I have written about the companies that long ago made this discovery: Pella, Patagonia, Wegmans, FedEx, South West Airlines, WestJet, and many others. Accolo, is a company that is revolutionizing the recruitment business by inventing a new business called networking-based Recruitment Process Outsourcing. They have just announced a Candidate Bill of Rights. Companies that place the employee first show better stock market performance than the S&P 500 and those slow to see this light will end up in the dark.
I know of Accolo! My experience with them was very plesent even though I did not get the executive position I was seeking. I remember being treated with a fairness and respect that seemed to be lost on other companies I have applied to.
John
Thanks for your comment John. I know Accolo is very keen on their commitment to people and setting new standards for honoring people in the recruitment business – so your confirmation will please them. Thanks for your response.
The next big thing in leadership should be an examination of what leadership has become. Once an art form practiced by those that had the inate ability to lead, today’s corporate managers are now buzzword spouting, acronym using, trendy business book reading, mile-a-minute fast talkers who have lost touch with everything except “keeping score.” Read “160 Degrees of Deviation: The Case for the Corporate Cynic.” Here’s a different perspecrive on corporate leadership.