Dunder Mifflin, a great place to work! Anybody? Show of hands, anybody want to intern at Dunder Mifflin. We do not offer college credit, we can not give you any sort of pay, but it is a really fun work environment. Anybody? Show of hands? Dammit. Ok. I’m gonna wrap it up here. Thank you, for your time. And drive safe! – Michael Scott, The Office
Ok…maybe Dunder Mifflin isn’t a great example of a fun plac
e to work, but Trader Joe’s is. And fun in the workplace does matter.
Read: Monica Nolan on Fun: The Secret Ingredient in Employee Engagement for PeopleMetrics
Of course, it needs to be relevant and appropriate to the existing corporate culture and not negatively affect the organization or its reputation. And it certainly isn’t a substitute for other key motivators such as solid leadership and fair pay. But encouraging employees to have a good time on the job ultimately may lead to higher engagement and loyalty, which in turn means lower turnover. The best part? A fun place to work is a fun place to shop.
To read more about Trader Joe’s and its unique approach to employee engagement, pick up The Trader Joe’s Adventure: Turning a Unique Approach to Business into a Retail and Cultural Phenomenon, a book by Len Lewis.
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