Employee Engagement Activities

At Winning Workplaces, our tagline is "Better for people, better for business." It's one of the things we look for in selecting and naming our Top Small Workplaces each year, and we sometimes refer to it as a "win-win."

What we mean by this is the use of workplace team building and engagement activities to create more satisfied employees – who are better parents, citizens, and volunteers in their communities (that's the people part) – and who are more committed to the success of their employers' missions and goals (that's the business part). Our Founder and Chairman, Ken Lehman, explains this in greater detail in a video on our website.

Sometimes we're fortunate to honor small firms that provide another win for a triple win. Such is the case with 2008 Top Small Workplace the Rainforest Alliance. My coworker Jason, an ardent environmentalist, sent me this link from the New York City-based nonprofit's Facebook page. It talks about how much larger companies/brands, such as Chiquita, Kraft, Nike, and even Wal-Mart, are increasing their enviro-cred with the help of the Rainforest Alliance's responsible business partnership and certification programs.

So here's a breakdown of how the Rainforest Alliance produces a triple win:

For their employees: Many innovative employee engagement team development strategies, some of which we covered in our Success Story on the nonprofit.
For the organization: The employee engagement strategies alluded to above contribute directly to its bottom line, especially in annual revenue growth (36%), annual turnover (lower than the industry average of 21%), and average employee tenure (3.5 years).
For their business partners: a better CSR reputation and positive buzz, both of which lead to greater identification among target audiences and ultimately sales.

For a lot more on the people practices that make the Rainforest Alliance a productive workplace, check out our report on them and their fellow 2008 Top Small Workplace winners.