CTHRA’s Community
Q&A with WOW!’s CEO and HR VP about how a focus on employees nets winning business results
• Social Networking in the
Workplace Roundtable
• CTHRA members earn
Kaitz Diversity Awards
Did you Know?
93.7% of WOW!’s employees
ranked themselves extremely happy with their employer? Read all about it
Two of CTHRA’s members received the Kaitz Foundation’s 2009 Diversity Championship Awards? Find out who!
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Center
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May-June 2009
Comcast’s human capital management strategy,
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Swine flu pandemic flash survey results
Mar-April 2009
Case Study: Discovery's winning approach to a reorg
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Industry Benchmarks for Compensation, Benefits, and Metrics
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Strategy Showcase:
WOW! Takes Care of Business By Taking Care of Employees
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WOW’s business results are impressive:
- The company’s subscriber base has grown an impressive 34% since 2002,
- WOW! was ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Telephone Customer Satisfaction Study and Residential High Speed Internet Customer Satisfaction Study for the North Central Region which brought WOW’s total to seven J.D. Power awards,
- WICT’s 2008 PAR Initiative named WOW! one of the best operators for women in cable,
- And CableFAX named the MSO its 2008 Independent Operator of the Year.
It’s not a mere coincidence that WOW!’s latest internal survey revealed that 93.7% of employees rated themselves “extremely happy” with their employer. We asked CEO Colleen Abdoulah and Janice Turner, VP of HR, to share the secrets of their success.
Q. Some corporate executives tend to shrug off the business case for making employee satisfaction a priority. How has employee satisfaction directly impacted WOW!’s bottom line?
Emotional Intelligence (EQi) studies reveal that the “happiness” level is a key driver to performance—higher productivity and effective teamwork. WOW!’s internal customer satisfaction survey resulted in 93% very good-excellent scores by our external customers and seven JD Power Awards for #1 service provider in the video, HSD and phone services.
By focusing on taking care of our employees, they feel valued, produce more and choose to stay and develop within the company. We have lowered employee turnover, with a turnover rate to 26% in the field and 40% in our call center.
Q. What HR programs or practices have helped you achieve such a high level of employee satisfaction?
On a company-wide basis, WOW! Awards are a big deal among our employees. They include: Outstanding Performer (someone who made a significant impact on the bottom line), the Most Valuable Contribution, the Serve with Heart Award for community service, the Courage Award for taking a risk in recommending an initiative or best practice, the Spirit Award, and the Perfect Attendance Award. We solicit nominations for the awards twice per year, and the winners receive an all expense paid trip to a Colorado resort and the royal treatment: dinner with the award selection committee, spending money, spa treatments, and two paid days off of work.
In addition to company-wide awards, there are frequent awards, recognition and celebrations at the local level. We offer flexible work schedules, a rich benefit plan, career paths, profit sharing bonuses, employee focus groups, community service opportunities for all employees, employee celebrations, holiday parties, and Tech Appreciation Day.
Q. Your website states that your company philosophy is “to deliver an employee and customer experience that lives up to our name.” How do you translate this vision into daily operations?
In four key ways:
- To ensure management level personnel who do not have direct contact with the end customer stay in touch with the customer and our frontline employees we have a mandatory process. Once a month, these management level people are required to ride in truck, knock on customer doors, or monitor calls in our call center. This ensures that our corporate leaders are truly connected to our customers and front line employees.
- We do not have a traditional organizational structure. We operate on a ‘service structure’ where each functional area is mapped out based on who their internal customers are. This approach removes hierarchy, politics, territorialism and bureaucracy.
- In addition, we are metrics driven, always raising the bar to improve performance, we celebrate and recognize accomplishments, provide open access for customers and employees through email and 800 number to top management personnel.
- We also live up to our name by creating WOW! moments for each other and our customers.
Q. What is a WOW! Moment?
It’s when an employee creates the unexpected for another employee or an external customer—a random act of kindness that is truly unexpected. We encourage each individual employee to authentically lead with courage, serve with heart and celebrate with grace.
One example of a WOW! moment is that when a Michigan employee’s daughter’s house burned down, fellow WOW! employees raised money, donated clothes, food, household items and furniture to help the family.
Another example occurred when an elderly customer called in to reduce her service plan because she was having difficulty paying her monthly bill. She explained how an extra $15 per month would allow her to buy badly needed bath towels. After the call, the company purchased a set of towels and mailed them to her.
Click here to read about an employee’s WOW! moment.
Q. Colleen has stated “The WOW! Way’ is rather unique. We are a group of people who lead with courage, serve with heart and celebrate with grace.” How do you obtain buy in and ensure that each individual at every level of the organization embodies this approach to their work?
Janice: First it begins with recruiting. WOW! has integrated processes that help us identify the right candidate for the right position; that is followed up with an extensive focus on developing our employees to their fullest potential, recognition and rewards; low turnover; a philosophy and bonus plan that fosters ownership at all levels of the company; and simply a FUN, supportive place. Colleen’s goal is when someone leaves WOW! for whatever reason, they will say they are a better person for having worked here.
We also offer career path programs for our frontline employees. They can opt to take tests to earn pay increases beyond normal merit increases. We also reward employees for their longevity.
Q. How often and how do you survey your employee satisfaction?
Once per year 100% of our employees participate in an internal employee satisfaction survey.
Q. Do you have a favorite story about an employee’s reaction to WOW’s culture and employee-related philosophies?
Email from employee to Colleen:
Just a quick email of deep appreciation regarding the recent act of kindness extended to my recently widowed daughter Phaedra Williams. The gift card was the most appropriate article my daughter received to assist with the transition she must make to single head of household. When Phaedra called and notified me regarding the gift card, I was shocked and exceedingly pleased and proud.
WOW! is perhaps the tenth telecommunication firm I have been employed by during my long career. Thank you for your diligent attention to details over the years which resulted in our company being positioned to weather recent financial storms. Thank you for your consummate compassion extended to your first customers, employees representing the company, as demonstrated by such acts as my daughter’s gift card. Thank you for being a bright light for my family during times of dark and threatening skies.
Q. Do you have anything else you’d like to share about employee satisfaction?
At WOW! we don’t talk about employee or customer satisfaction—we focus on the experience. We believe you can provide decent, even good ‘service’ but not a positive and memorable experience. So we make sure it is all about an unexpectedly wonderful experience.
Mark Your Calendar! |
Spotlight On: CTHRA’s Community Keeps You Connected
The old adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” emphasizes the importance of networking, and CTHRA is all about keeping you connected to your colleagues. If you want to know if someone else encountered a situation you’re dealing with at the office, or you simply want to build some professional relationships with colleagues in your area, CTHRA’s community of 1,500 HR professionals is a great place to start!
So how do you tap into this mighty network? We’ve made it easy for you!
- CTHRA’s online membership directory
With the click of your mouse, you can search our member database by name, state, or company to obtain contact information for fellow members. - Get LinkedIn®
Join our LinkedIn group and join the conversation on all things related to HR! You can request input on an HR challenge or share trusted resources that have helped you at work by starting or posting to a discussion. We’ve even created subgroups to help you focus on specific topics of interest, such as employee benefits, compensation, metrics and more! - Become a fan on Facebook
We’re using this site to post events and keep you informed of CTHRA news. You can become a fan by visiting the Facebook site and searching “Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association”. - Attend or Host a Regional Roundtable
CTHRA’s Regional Roundtable’s are a great forum for networking, sharing knowledge and gaining insight into proven practices. If you’re lucky enough to live in Atlanta, plan to attend the Social Networking in the Workplace discussion on October 22 at Turner’s Entertainment Campus. If Atlanta isn’t your market, contact CTHRA to consider hosting a roundtable in your city.
Atlanta Roundtable Will Get Social
If you live or work in Atlanta, mark your calendar for Thursday, October 22. That morning, CTHRA will host a roundtable discussion on “Social Networking in the Workplace” at Turner’s Techwood Entertainment Campus. Stay tuned for more information!
Comcast and Turner Net Diversity Championship Awards
The Walter Kaitz Foundation recently announced that it selected
Comcast Corporation and Turner Broadcasting System to receive its 2009
Diversity Championship Awards. We congratulate these member companies for their commendable achievements!
CTHRA Announces Webinar Featuring the Latest Insight on Compensation
Want to know the newest compensation trends and industry benchmarks? Then plan to participate in CTHRA’s Webinar on Tuesday, October 20 at 2 pm ET. During the program, Hali Croner of The Croner Company will present findings from CTHRA’s 2009 Compensation Survey and will field your questions.
Click here to |
Member Connection
Congratulations to these members on the move:
Paul Gillert has formed Gillert Media Consulting LLC. Previously Paul was VP Human Resources at Mediacom Communications.
Turner Broadcasting System has added Lisa Chang as SVP of HR. Lisa was previously the EVP of HR at The Weather Channel.
Please send promotions/new hire information to CTHRA’s editor.
NEW MEMBERS
We welcome these individuals who joined CTHRA in June-July 2009
D. Simone Durrah, National Cable & Telecommunications Association
Michelle Czarnopyski, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Michele Edquist, Microsoft Corporation
Roysi Erbes, James & Co.
Spencer Farrow, Microsoft Corporation
Charess Garcia, ESPN, Inc.
Scott McElhone, HBO
Bryan McGowan, Time Warner Cable - Corporate
Angel Morrow, Comcast Cable Communications
Laura Revenko, Discovery Communications, Inc.
Laurie Root, Women in Cable Telecommunications
Corinne Steinbauer, Time Warner Cable
Deidra Vanderheiden, Cox Communications, Inc.