What Makes an Employer-of-Choice So Great?

The following is my spin on a Retail Wire opinion piece about what makes a great retailer…

Here’s what makes an employer an “employer of choice.”

Leadership and innovation: You have to give people good reasons to pick your company over your competitors as a place to work as well as good reasons to stay. Two great ones are outstanding leadership and relentless innovation.
Understanding: The best employers are those who spend time listening to their employees. They understand what their people like and dislike about their jobs as well as what they could do to improve the experience and work environment. (Too many employers lack this understanding because corporate offices are separate from the branches or stores or because they don’t make it a practice to regularly interact with frontline employees.)
Creating an exciting, memorable experience: How much fun is your workplace? Just because business is serious, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Give your people exciting projects or goals to meet and reward success. Celebrate victories, employment anniversaries, birthdays. Give them time or credit for community service work. You get the idea.
Communicating your story: If you can’t sell it on the inside, you won’t be able to sell it on the outside. What was the idea that sparked the creation of your organization? What is its history? How has it grown and changed? What is its mission and values? All of this should be shared with every new hire.