Just a few weeks back, the results to find the leading employer in Australia and New Zealand were released:
Hewitt Associates Announces Australia and New Zealand's Best Employers
SalesForce named overall Hewitt Best Employer for 2nd consecutive year
Sydney -- Hewitt Associates (NYSE:HEW), a global human resources services firm, today announced the 2005 Hewitt Best Employers in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). The following organisations were honoured in the study:
2005 Hewitt Best Employers in ANZ
Winner
SalesForce
Best New Entrant
ING Direct
Special Commendation for Consistent Improvement (in alphabetical order)
seek.com.au
Swiss Re
Hewitt Best Employers (in alphabetical order)
American Express
Bain & Company
Bayer Healthcare ANZ
Blackmores
British American Tobacco
Carson Group
Dell
Golder Associates
Medtronic
Nokia
Select Australasia
Westaff
Now in its fifth year, the Hewitt Best Employers in ANZ study is jointly managed by Hewitt Associates, The Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) and AFR BOSS magazine, and aims to better understand the link between people practices and business performance. With over 160 organisations and 40,000 employees taking part this year, it is the largest employee research project and market practice audit in the Australia and New Zealand region.
So there you have it - SalesForce it is. Given that the study was not limited to call centres, but covered businesses of all kinds, it is surprising to see a call centre at the top of the list. For a start, many call centres have turned to outsourced labour to fill their seats rather than hiring their staff directly. Sure, this gives them plenty of flexiblity in hiring and firing, but it does create a big barrier to becoming an employer of choice.
This isn't the first time SalesForce has featured prominantly in this survey. According to their website, they made the top ten list in both 2001 and 2003, and in 2004 and again this year has won the 'Best Employer' award.
Here's what SalesForce say about employee satisfaction:
Why being a top 10 employer is crucial
It’s common knowledge that many outsource call centre and field sales operators treat their employees in ways that deter great conversational performances – inadequate training, draconian conditions, workhouse environments that fail to stimulate. Such circumstances breed dissatisfied, de-motivated employees with negative attitudes that are reflected in every conversation.
Attracting and retaining career-minded individuals is the key to delivering extraordinary conversations hour after hour, day after day.
So that's the official line at SalesForce, but what do these satisftied, motivated well-trained, well-stimulated employees think of their working conditions?
