Microsoft was honored this month to be ranked second among the large companies named Best Places to Work by the Boston Business Journal (BBJ).   In its sixth annual listing, the BBJ moved Microsoft up from the number-three spot to second position based on the number of employees we have in Massachusetts and direct employee feedback from a 38-question online survey.

Since the award announcement, I’ve heard a good deal of positive reaction.  For instance, one 17-year employee e-mailed me to offer his thanks for our commitment to make Microsoft a great place to work, noting that it’s Microsoft’s culture and people who keep him here and make him want to give his best each day.

Partners have also called me because they view our employee relations tenets as an opportunity for them to learn as they build a culture that mirrors our own.  They understand that corporate culture, work environment, colleagues, flexibility and benefits all carry a value for employees as valuable as the basic monetary compensation.

We’ve become a great place to work because managers spend so much time communicating with (not “to”) employees.   We listen to what they suggest and implement many of their recommendations.  For example, our office has a six-person employee task force that meets regularly to talk about anything related to their jobs—the workplace, tools, compensation, recognition programs, how we manage the business.  The discussion is open to the broadest areas.  Then the task force lead compiles all that feedback and provides it to me.   I ensure that my boss and Human Resources receive that feedback, as well. 

Our corporate executives place great emphasis on this kind of employee input, too.  Our people complete annual employee surveys, and the results go to officers in the company.  Our vice president of human resources also visits with employees  in town-hall settings.  I can’t begin to enumerate the terrific ideas, big and small, that have emerged from these kinds of sessions and that have helped shape our work environment and our company.

Beyond the input we receive, we’ve created a very flexible environment.  If people need to work from home for a day, they’re free to do so.  Especially at this time a year, with so many graduation ceremonies, parents need time to support their children and relish in their accomplishments.  We’re happy to offer that flexibility.  If you were to ask me for half a dozen tips to help make your own workplace a magnet for the best people, here are a few principles I’d suggest you keep in mind:

1.       Don’t remove yourself from your people.  Be visible and visibly interested in their work and their feedback.

2.       Provide formal and informal opportunities for your people to be heard—and don’t reprimand them for feedback you don’t want to hear.

3.       Listening is part of the process, but you have to take action on what you hear, as well.  Regularly demonstrate how employee feedback has been transformed into actions.

4.       Keep your people updated on the progress you’re making.  A workplace change may require weeks or months to implement; it’s important that employees know you’re working on the matter and where it stands.

5.       Never sit still.  Always ask how things are going and what management can do better.

6.       Always look for new and creative ways to provide the right type of benefits for your employees.  Remember that you can’t treat people as employee ID numbers.  They’re individuals with individual preferences and needs.  So in structuring your benefits, be sure you offer them a range of incentives and rewards that reflects their range of interests.

We’re thrilled with the honor we’ve received from BBJ, and we’re listening to our people to determine how, next year, we can achieve the number one position.