Successful businesses must develop trust, loyalty, and respect between employers and employees. While not something that happens overnight, many companies prove their commitment to their employees – and their communities – in many ways. Here’s how three of those companies earn their stripes, so to speak, and become beloved by their employees (and the public). With these three companies, you’ll see this process in action.

Practice What You Preach – Patagonia

Companies often like to tout their values, but do they truly stand by them when it counts? Do they stand by their ethics even when it may result in a minor loss? When a company lives by the ethics they pay lip service to, it shows that the leadership is committed to their values which usually translates into a commitment to their employees.

Patagonia is the perfect example of ethics in action. They recently announced they would no longer sell products to one of their major ski resort retailers – Jackson Hole Mountain Resort – after one of the owners hosted a right-wing fundraiser tied to the Capitol Riots. As a spokesperson for the company said: “We make business decisions and build relationships in alignment with our values.”

Equality & Diversity – A+E Networks

Both customers and employees routinely rate diversity and inclusion as essential factors for businesses. According to research on Glassdoor, 76% of job seekers rank a diverse workforce as something they look for in a new position.

Employees of A+E Networks Entertainment know what it feels like to be valued and respected. For example, the company is excellent for LBGTQ+ employees, offering the same fertility benefits to all employees no matter gender or sexual orientation. Their concierge fertility benefits plan includes basic infertility diagnosis, IUI, IVF treatments, and may scale to donor services or even surrogacy.

A+E also prioritizes employee input from all levels of their organization, ensuring that all voices feel heard when solving problems and developing new projects.

Meaningful Benefits – Cerner Health Information Services

Benefits matter. Although employees don’t always connect them to engagement and performance, they’re often the most significant factor in job satisfaction. If a business wants to retain employees and foster loyalty with them (and their customers), they must treat them well. It boosts morale and productivity, attracts talented employees, and creates a healthier workforce. Better benefits include offering benefits that resonate with employees and offering tangible proof that they are valued. For the companies with the highest employee satisfaction, that can bring something more to their employees.

Cerner Health Information Services in Kansas City, Missouri, prioritizes health benefits for their employees. Beyond offering insurance, they have an onsite medical clinic, and care includes everything from doctors to mental health counselors and even a nutritionist. They take employee health care seriously, which is one of the reasons they have such an excellent reputation with their employees.

These three companies illustrate how employers can make their workforce feel valued and heard. These build foundations for employees to develop emotional connections where they work. While they might seem like small things, they can make a huge difference in workplace culture and employee satisfaction.

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