But not all team activities have to be service-focused. Life Time Fitness's Cooper and controller John Hugo started a six-month health program called "Fiscal Fitness" for all finance and accounting staff last April, modeled after the TV series "The Biggest Loser." With nearly 100% participation, each team had six months to make the most improvement in terms of weight, strength, and other fitness goals. Intermittent competitions, such as a bowling tournament or a run around the company campus, help teams assess where they stand.
The program has helped employees become more enthusiastic while also making it easier for them to reach their personal goals.
3. Allow more time off and flexible work schedules. Many employers, particularly accounting firms, are formally allowing flexible work schedules, such as those in which employees can take every 10th day off. But offering a few bonus vacation days ad hoc can also be appealing. "You might say to someone, 'You've been working hard — why don't you take the next two or three Fridays off?'" says Mazzocchi. This clearly won't work during crunch times, but with a little forethought a CFO could make this offer to any number of employees over the course of several months.
Another relatively inexpensive gift: you. Some employees would jump at the chance to have lunch or play golf with the CFO, say experts. "The more you can get people to feel like they have visibility at a high level," says Mazzocchi, "the more likely they are to stay."
Alix Stuart is a senior writer at CFO.
Reader Comments» Post a comment