What it means to be an Employer of Choice - Personal Statement Example

Employer of Choice Employer of Choice This topic of this paper is about the “Employer of Choice”. It will discuss what it means to be an “Employer of Choice” and elaborate on three areas which make an organization as such. Companies which have been voted as “Employers of Choice” will be presented and described in this essay. An “Employer of Choice” is defined by Herman and Gioia as “an employer of any size, in the public, private, or not-for-profit sector that attracts, optimizes, and holds top talent for long tenure .

because the employees choose to be there" (The Sloan Work and Family Research Network, n.d.). In simpler terms, they defined “Employer of Choice” as “it means that [quality] people will choose to work for you and they will: Choose to dedicate themselves to your success. Choose to stay with you, even when they are being courted by recruiters from other employers - recruiters with exceptionally attractive inducements. An employer of choice is one who inspires highly talented workers to join them and stay with them” (Cavell, 2004).

A major area which makes employees consider an organization as an “Employer of Choice” is the atmosphere in the workplace. The workplace environment is focused on six principles which are the key drivers of employee engagement (The Training Foundation, 2011). These six principles are Caring about people, Honesty and fairness, Open communication, Involving people, Coaching and assisting and Ethical practice (CHOICE). An “Employer of Choice” awardee, The Martin Memorial Health Systems embodies these principles.

They view their company as an organization not only engaged in health care services but as a venue for learning by supporting their associates and encouraging them to pursue their dreams and aspirations through further studies (Martin Memorial Health System, 2011). The second common issue which influences an individual’s perception of “Employer of Choice” is the values-based culture in an organization (The Training Foundation, 2011). According to the Training Foundation, “companies that honour values which chime with innate human motivators are rewarded by engaged employees and superior performance” (2011).

One company which has exemplified this area is IBM which has been “Employer of Choice” for several years now. Its three-fold initiatives or the 3Cs for the employees have made them retain the position. These initiatives are capability, which refers to the “rigorous and ongoing career/skills development programs; climate which refers to the “challenging, empowering work environment, with world-class infrastructure; and culture which refers to the “sensitivity to a global workforce” (IBM, n.d.).

The third vital area which makes a company an “Employer of Choice” is trust. Cavell states that trust it the foundation of harmonious and productive relationships and true accountability (2004). He goes on further to say that openness, congruence, reliability and acceptance are the four major components of trust in an organization. PricewaterhouseCoopers, an “Employer of Choice” typifies this concept of trust in its firm by boasting of its commitment and acceptance to the diversity of their employees (PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, 2011).

The company gives mutual respect to the heterogeneity of its workers and the communities where they operate. Today’s workforce is faced with a plethora of job opportunities. The challenge is for organizations to be able to tap the best people and make them stay with the company for the longest of time despite the lure of other more lucrative jobs in the market. To become an “Employer of Choice” is a dream of every organization. This dream is attainable; however, to become an “Employer of Choice”, the company must put in a lot of hard work and dedication.

Nothing is left to chance.Works CitedCavell, W. (2004). Employer of choice. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from linnergy.com.au: http://www.linnergy.com.au/Documents/EmployerofChoice.pdfIBM. (n.d.). Employer of choice. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from 07.ibm.com: http://www- 07.ibm.com/in/careers/choice.htmlMartin Memorial Health System. (2011). Careers. Retrieved August 4, 2011, from mmhs.com: http://www.mmhs.com/careers/PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited. (2011). Careers. Retrieved August 4, 2011, from pwc.

com: http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/careers/index.jhtmlThe Sloan Work and Family Research Network. (n.d.). Glossary. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from wfnetwork.bc.edu: http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/glossary_entry.php?term=Employer%20of%20Choice,%20Defin ition(s)%20of&area=AllThe Training Foundation. (2011). Choice comprises six principles of importance to everyone. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from employers-of-choice: http://www.employers-of- choice.org/page/about.htmlThe Training Foundation. (2011). Two key characteristics of Employers-of-CHOICE.

Retrieved August 3, 2011, from employers-of-choice: http://www.employers-of- choice.org/page/why_keyfact3.html