Do you have favorite products that you use all the time?
Perhaps your computer, your phone, your tablet.
Or a favorite piece of clothing.
For me a favorite is my winter jacket. It is made by Patagonia.
I bought this coat a couple of winters ago, thinking it will probably be the last time I buy an all-weather winter coat.
I love this coat because it is so well made. I also love the company – Patagonia.
I love Patagonia because I believe they represent one of the most people-centric companies in the US. Just before the recent holidays, Patagonia announced that they were closing all stores, offices and warehouses in the US and Canada for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Why might they do this in one of the busiest seasons for retail companies?
They did it because ‘our people need a break’. There you have it.
Most companies would say ‘we could never do that’ or ‘look at how much that would cost us’. Granted, this won’t work in some industries – hospitals, hospitality, first responders, etc.
A truly people-centric organization puts its people first. That is exactly what Patagonia does with taking an unconventional approach for their industry. One of Patagonia’s core values is ‘not bound by convention’.
I have no doubt that this decision to shut down the business for a week is good for business. It breeds loyalty from its employees. Employees will be refreshed when they come back from break and be more creative and engaged. And employees are more likely to stay, knowing that their employer really cares about them.
This is what being a people-centric workplace is all about.