Employee Satisfaction & Retention – What 4 Tech Companies Can Teach You

About a third of new hires quit their job within 6 months. Think about it: you spent a lot of time, money, and effort to find the right people for your company. And you sure don’t want all that investment to go to waste after 6 months.

So how do you retain and keep your employees satisfied?

Let’s look at how 4 of the best places to work do it.

Airbnb: Mission-Driven Perks

“Belonging” – it’s the idea right at the core of Airbnb.

Everything about the company is all about creating that sense of belonging: from their logo the Bélo, welcoming office space design, to the service itself which gives guests a place to call home across 190 countries and 34,000 cities.

Airbnb has all the perks you can find in any leading tech company.

Fresh and healthy meals served daily? Check!

Free yoga sessions so employees stay fit? Check!

Great pay and vacation policy? Check!

But what sets Airbnb apart from other companies is the organization’s commitment to creating a tight knit community.

A bi-weekly world meeting for everyone to join, a separate executive meeting with the notes distributed to all Airbnb staff in 24 hours, a ground control team tasked of bringing the company culture to life – these are just some of the programs Airbnb has in place to ensure employees openly communicate, share ideas, and ask questions.

And to truly bridge the gap between office-dwelling employees and hosts that accommodate guests, Airbnb gives an annual $2000-allowance for traveling and staying at any of the company’s hosts.

The program doesn’t just give employees the opportunity to go out of the country, spend the weekend out of town, or enjoy a brief staycation. More importantly, it also serves as a valuable learning tool for Airbnb staff, giving them insight on the service they provide so they can provide a better customer experience.

LinkedIn: Encouraging Professional Growth

The business-oriented social network is a valuable networking tool for job-seekers, professionals, and B2B companies. For its employees however, LinkedIn is a place where they get ample opportunities to grow in and out of the office.

Want to hear the greatest thought leaders of today share their knowledge and inspiring ideas?

Enter LinkedIn’s Speaker Series where the likes of Barack Obama, Arianna Huffington, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Guy Kawasaki talk about productivity, relationships, success, and more.

Employees also have access to online training tools such as LearnIn and the management trainee program ManageIn – plus a $5000-stipend (for US and CA employees) for job-related education.

And for those who want to make a difference beyond the workplace, LinkedIn offers the $10,000-Innovation Grant to organizations looking to launch unique ideas championed by their employees.

Google: 360-Degree Listening

Getting into Google is no mean feat! The tech company is known for its tough application process, and only 1 in 130 applicants get in. However, the stringent hiring standards isn’t enough to  deter over 2 million job-seekers from giving it a shot every year.

And why not? Google is a brand everyone knows, and their employee perks are just as impressive as their products: generous compensation packages, free meals throughout the day, fitness and workout facilities, shuttles to help people get around the campus, and even death benefits!

Now, Google didn’t just magically come up with these awesome perks.

The tech company’s higher-ups made sure to listen and tap into their employees’ needs using various channels and platforms. For starters, Google runs an annual survey called Googlegeist to look into every staff members’ needs.

Employee clubs and resource groups, on the other hand, allow like-minded Googlers to get together and exchange ideas, which are forwarded to the human resources department for further study and scrutiny.

And then there’s the Google-O-Meter, the company’s charting tool.

The tool is used to gauge the popularity of employee ideas and suggestions such as having more doctors within Google’s campus or bringing in overseas Googlers to the headquarters. If the suggestion proves to be popular and is in reflective of the company’s culture, it’s likely to be implemented.

Hubspot: Trusting Employees To Use Good Judgment

You may not feel confident about giving your employees unlimited vacation, but Hubspot does!

Founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah along with the rest of the Hubspot’s management recognize the importance of work-and-life balance – and how having to wait for a calendar holiday to take a day off of work can be draining.

The unlimited vacation time has allowed employees to live an exciting life and travel around the world, while Hubspot gets to keep its share of productive and talented people.

And Hubspot’s mantra for just about anything the organization does? “Use good judgment!”

The trusting culture of the company is also well reflected in the workplace, giving every employee the autonomy they need to give their best shot at work. No roaming managers nor prying eyes watching everything you do.

Kevin Hilton is the marketing specialist for CafePoint, a UK-based vending machine business. When he’s not busy speaking to clients, Kevin is reading the latest trends in marketing, entrepreneurship, and employee satisfaction.