Our son Ben was married last month. We were very happy and proud. The picture below of my wife and I walking him down the aisle perfectly captures the bursting pride we feel for our son:

Let me tell you a little about Ben. He is a poised, warm, thoughtful, and bright young man. He gives back to the community by working for a non-profit organization in Los Angeles that helps inner-city pre-school children get a jumpstart in school by exposing them to reading. He is also a volunteer Big Brother. He has many, many close friends. (More than 50 of them travelled across the country to the wedding.) He chose a wife who is equally poised, warm, smart — and beautiful to boot. We are proud of what he has accomplished thus far in his life and are very optimistic about his future with his new bride.

Still on an emotional high from the wedding, I started thinking about what makes employees proud of their organizations.

TOP OF PAGE

FIRST, DOES ORGANIZATIONAL PRIDE MATTER?

Over the years in my employee survey consulting business we have asked employees in more than 70 organizations about whether or not they are proud of their organization. 73 percent of them say they are. Furthermore our research shows that employees who are proud of their organizations are more:

• Engaged in their work;

• Satisfied with their organizations as a place to work;

• Committed to their organization;

• Willing to recommend their organization as a good place to work; and

• Likely to stay with the organization for many more years.

 

WHAT MAKES EMPLOYEES PROUD OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONS?

Here are the 10 factors our research shows are most strongly related to organizational pride:

1. GIVING BACK

   Employees are proud of their organizations if they give back to the community by supporting local charities.

2. OPTIMISM

   Employees who are optimistic about the future of their organization and their own personal future there are more proud of their organizations.

3. QUALITY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

   Employees who believe their organization provides excellent products or services are more proud to work there.

4. HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE

   If employees have the decision-making authority they need and if senior management makes clear-cut decisions, employees are more likely to be proud to work there.

5. RESPECT OF EMPLOYEES

   Organizational pride is stronger for employees if they believe management listens to them and if their coworkers respect them.

6. EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

   Organizations that provide their employees with opportunities to learn new skills have prouder employees.

7. COST CONTROL

   Organizational pride is stronger in organizations where the employees believe that the quality of the products and services provided are not sacrificed to control costs.

8. SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

   Employees who feel a strong sense of personal accomplishment from their work are more proud of their organizations.

9. BENEFITS

   Employees who are satisfied with their employee benefits are more proud to work in their organizations.

10. TRANSPARENCY

    Organizations that clearly explain the steps they are taking to reach their goals have prouder employees.

HOW CAN ORGANIZATIONS IMPROVE EMPLOYEE PRIDE?

1. Give Back to the Community

   Act as a responsible corporate citizen by supporting local charities, being active in the community, conducting business in an environmentally-safe fashion, and providing time for employees to volunteer in the community.

2. Celebrate Employee Loyalty

   Show employees that you value their long-term service by publicly giving out awards that recognize their years of service, holding retirement parties, and retraining employees if different skills are needed as the organization changes.

3. Focus on Quality

   Foster a climate that encourages employees to continuously improve the quality of their work and recognize employee contributions to improving product quality and customer service.

4. Empower Employees

   Provide employees with the decision-making authority they need to perform their jobs well.

5. Listen to Employees

   Senior management should circumvent the hierarchy by meeting often directly with employees to listen to their ideas, suggestions, and concerns.

6. Foster Employee Growth

   Provide opportunities for all employees to learn new skills by enriching their jobs, providing more training, and supporting their desire to take outside courses.

7. Focus on Cost Control

   Continuously identify new ways to reduce costs without sacrificing the quality of products and services.

8. Enable Employees to Feel a Sense of Personal Accomplishment

   Too often employees perform their jobs everyday without really knowing how well they are helping the organization achieve its goals, save money, improve product quality, or satisfy customers. Communicate to employees how their efforts are translating into the organization's success.

9. Maintain Transparency

   Clearly communicate to employees the organization's goals and the steps being taken to achieve those goals. Also, clearly communicate information about pay and how pay levels are determined.

10. Provide a Strong Benefit Program

    Look for ways to enhance your benefit program. Also, prepare individual compensation statements that show each employee what pay and benefits they receive.

CONCLUSION

Pride matters. Proud employees are more engaged, more satisfied, more committed, and stay longer. Your efforts will be well worthwhile it if you continually look for ways to make your employees feel as proud of your organization as we are of our son.