Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62199
From Editors the More Than Just a Paycheck This year's business graduates may not remember the "company man," that dedicated worker of the 1950s and '60s who stayed at the same company for 30 years, even if he viewed his job as less than ideal. After putting in his time, he retired quietly with a gold watch and a pat on the back. To us, the company man may seem like an anachronism. We can just look at today's statistics: Most people will have at least three different careers, with multiple companies, in their lifetimes. But perhaps we shouldn't count out company men—and women—just yet. We've all heard the career advisers say "do what you love, love what you do." We know employees are more likely to stay at companies where they feel ful- filled. In the current job market, it seems more corporations are taking steps to make that happen. Southwest Airlines, for one, operates according corporations are redoubling their efforts to hire employees who will be happy in their corporate cultures. After all, when a person takes a job because it suits his or her passion, not because of the paycheck, it has to be good for business. Graduates entering the workforce may not want to return to the days of gold to employee productivity—and ultimately to its own success. In our research for "Getting Grads on the Right Track," we found that many to emerge from September 11, 2001, still earning a profit. Southwest is not alone in linking employee satisfaction and anniversaries are as significant to the company as their work-related accomplishments. Unlike the com- pany man of yesteryear, SWA employees view job sat- isfaction as a necessity, not a luxury. So, it may be no coincidence that Southwest was the only major airline to "employee-friendly" policies, says company pres- ident and COO Colleen Barrett, interviewed in this issue. Barrett, a 22-year veteran of the company, refers to SWA employees as "family," whose birthdays watches, when employees remained loyal to a company even if their jobs made them miserable. But business schools can play a significant role in lowering turnover and raising job satisfaction in the workforce by helping students discover their true passions and beliefs. With that knowledge, students can choose their first jobs wisely and work not just for the money, but for the love of what they do. And if a gold watch happens to come with it, all the better. ■ z 4 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2003 BILL BASCOM