"can't find skilled workers" turns out to be bull

[calimary]

21. I keep thinking about the testimonials I see regarding Costco.

The CEO makes, I think, 20 times what the guy at the loading dock makes. The CEO says he thinks that's appropriate. There's a generous benefits package as far as I've heard, and employees generally feel as though they're well-treated. People who shop there talk about how cheerful and friendly and helpful Costco employees are.

Well, they're out there inter-acting with the public and essentially being walking billboards for their company. You treat your employees badly, you'll get apathetic, secretly hostile (isn't that passive-aggressive behavior?) attitudes around the workplace, and that's the face your employees are going to be presenting to the world, with your/your company's name all over it. That starts taking its toll. Pretty soon the rate of absenteeism starts to rise. People start calling in sick more frequently. Little stuff slowly starts disappearing around the office. Sometimes it's evident in how much more often people are at the printer or the xerox machine or whatever. They're all using company supplies to update their resumes and send inquiries around for something better. On the other hand, I've also worked at places where the boss - and sometimes it was only one level up from me (the program director), and sometimes it was all the way up at the top (the general manager) - treated people really nicely. I swear, it made you want to work all night for that guy and twice on weekends.

It's so completely and obscenely penny-wise and pound-foolish to shortchange or otherwise disrespect your employees. It's so much smarter to treat people well and let them know they're appreciated. It pays so many dividends, tangible AND intangible. Your whole business thrives that way.