Employees at Twin Cities marketing firm Haberman were out off the office by midday the Friday before Memorial Day to enjoy the holiday weekend, a special Friday perk during the summer. Those who work at Alarm.com's contact center in Bloomington sometimes enjoy "prom day" when they dress up in their finest attire.
While they may not have the huge staff and offices of larger firms, small companies find creative ways to try to make work fun and flexible for their employees — and as a result improve retention rates. As the labor force tightens, companies need to create a welcoming culture so trained employees stay.
Alarm.com's local offices don't resemble the dark basement locations often associated with call centers. For its 100 or so Minnesota workers, it has the top floor of a Bloomington office building that features wide-open views through large windows, colorful furnishings and a full suite of office stress relievers including a small golf putting green, table tennis and foosball tables and the occasional dog for "puppy therapy."
It's about helping people feel great about the time they are spending here," said Jason DaCosta, vice president of customer operations at Alarm.com. "We do stuff like this so they like being around the people they work with."
The office celebrates unusual occasions such as "prom day" and "Call About the Benjamins," when workers are rewarded financially to be more productive for a spurt of a couple hours.
With its attention on worker morale, Alarm.com snagged the top spot on this year's small businesses rankings on the Star Tribune's Top Workplaces list.
Read the full story here.
While they may not have the huge staff and offices of larger firms, small companies find creative ways to try to make work fun and flexible for their employees — and as a result improve retention rates. As the labor force tightens, companies need to create a welcoming culture so trained employees stay.
Alarm.com's local offices don't resemble the dark basement locations often associated with call centers. For its 100 or so Minnesota workers, it has the top floor of a Bloomington office building that features wide-open views through large windows, colorful furnishings and a full suite of office stress relievers including a small golf putting green, table tennis and foosball tables and the occasional dog for "puppy therapy."
It's about helping people feel great about the time they are spending here," said Jason DaCosta, vice president of customer operations at Alarm.com. "We do stuff like this so they like being around the people they work with."
The office celebrates unusual occasions such as "prom day" and "Call About the Benjamins," when workers are rewarded financially to be more productive for a spurt of a couple hours.
With its attention on worker morale, Alarm.com snagged the top spot on this year's small businesses rankings on the Star Tribune's Top Workplaces list.
Read the full story here.