2 weeks ago I was in London on vacation with my wonderful girlfriend, and while our time was spent almost exclusively on shopping, good food and musicals, I also stumbled on a couple of interesting things, happy-at-work-wise.
At a Pret A Manger (which is Britain’s version of Starbucks with better food) I saw this sign:
The headline is Good jobs, good people and the text is all about how good working for Pret is.
But the best one was this sign in the window of the Prime Time video rental store next to the Earl’s Court tube station:
Happy, smiling staff required. I love it! These are sure signs that happy employees is increasingly becoming something that companies want. They recognize that happy people are motivated, productive and better at service.
And of course the two ways to get happy employees is to give them god jobs (as Pret promises on their sign) or to hire people who are already happy (as Prime Time video does). The very best way is of course to combine these two approaches :o)
I feel like a cynic, but I always cringe whenever I see those sorts of signs. Here (USA), they’re plastered on pretty much every McDonald’s and Blockbuster Video, and they have nothing to do with how the company treats their employees. Always makes me think of some sort of twisted enslavement, where they not only make you work a miserable job, but make you smile while doing it.
Particularly enjoyed the typo (I assume it *was* a typo):
“And of course the two ways to get happy employees is to give them god jobs…”
That would make me both happy and omnipotent :-)
Keep up the good work
Becky: Yeah, sometimes they’re just fake. But sometimes they’re real. The trick is telling them apart, and in many cases you just know which iti is the second you walk into the workplace.
Tim: God jobs :o) I’d take it!
Well god’s job is not for everyone ;-) . I think recruiters need to a bit more than tell their employees to smile to make them happy. Flexitime, cresh, pension anyone?