Fortune’s 100 Best
The annual Fortune 100 best companies to work for list is out. And what an unusual list it is since it covers a year like no other—2021. It is filled with inspiring stories of what organizations did to stay in business last year.
What are even more interesting to me are some of the stories taken from interviews done at winning companies. They describe the actions some organizations take to set themselves apart, that, in addition to financial success, land them on the list. These are actions that really make an impact on employees.
One of my personal favorites is Wegmans. If you don’t know them, or of them, I almost feel sorry for you. This is a grocery chain based in Rochester, NY that came to the Washington DC area in the past few years and maybe they will come to your town someday, too.
They have amazing stores with multiple places to stop for a meal while you’re shopping. Of course, they stock groceries, some their own brands, but most are the national brands you find in any other grocery store. The difference—theirs are displayed better, look fresher, and taste better. In other words, they set themselves apart. I was in a new one the other day in McLean, VA that even had a full bar.
Where they really excel (and probably why their products look and taste better) is how they hire and manage their employees. Certainly, this is the reason why they are consistently on the Fortune 100 list, this year ranking fourth.
In 105 years of business, they’ve never laid off an employee, even during the height of Covid-19. Instead, they thought of ways they could make life easier for their employees—many of whom are part-time. They rolled out paid COVID sick and quarantine leave as well as job-protected, unpaid leave for employees who weren’t comfortable coming to work.
They moved people around. They retrained people for jobs that still existed. For example, when their in-store cafes closed, they moved those workers to the bakery or the seafood department. They trained them to do other essential jobs in the stores like deliveries or runners for curbside pick-ups.
One of the Wegmans employees who took on a new assignment and is quoted in Fortune said she trusted Wegmans and took on the new assignment. “I’m with a company whose priorities are its people.”
Can your employees say that about your organization? I hope so and for more inspiring stories, see the April/May 2021 issue of Fortune Magazine.
Barbara Mitchell