United States Cellular Corporation, d.b.a. U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM), owns and operates the sixth[citation needed] largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, behind Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, and MetroPCS. As of 2009, they serve about 6.1 million customers in 126 markets in 26 U.S. states.[1] U.S. Cellular has recently rolled out a 3G network for many of its customers. The company has its headquarters in O'Hare, Chicago, Illinois.
The folks at Google get homemade French toast in the morning with ginger-infused maple syrup and caramelized apples. Gratis.
We could go on, but we already know what you’re saying. And it likely includes the word “squat.”
That’s because most of us will never see the kind of perks that are handed out at some U.S. companies in the name of employee retention.
Each year, Fortune magazine comes out with a list of the best places to work. Each year, most of the companies on the list offer extras that go beyond free coffee and complimentary fanny packs emblazoned with the company logo.
Some of the examples will make you spit your Cheerios (or other leading brand):
Blockbuster offers health insurance for employees’ pets.
Amgen Biotechnology Co. has a staff florist.
Sun Microsystems has lactation rooms for nursing mothers.
The Container Store in Dallas has a staff yoga instructor.
The experts say such benefits help achieve something called “work/life balance.”
A healthy work/life balance, it seems, will lower a company’s turnover rate and save money that would otherwise be spent to recruit, relocate and train new workers.
The phrase dates back to 2005, when Spherion Corp., a Florida staffing and recruiting company, did a huge study that focused on the “troubling gap” between what workers want and what bosses think they want.
Employers that blow off work/life balance issues “expose themselves to a greater chance of employee burnout, lower productivity and eventual turnover,” Spherion Chief Executive Officer Roy Krause said.
That’s probably why S.C. Johnson & Son -- No. 7 on the Fortune list -- built an employee recreation complex and opened a child care center where photos of the kids are e-mailed to the parents throughout the workday.
Looking For Balance
Chason Hecht, said the quest for work/life balance represents a “social evolution,” especially among young workers who “don’t view their jobs as a way to simply put food on the table.”
Hecht is president of Retensa, a New York City firm that helps clients hang on to their best workers.
“Work is no longer a way to sustain yourself or your family,” he explained. “It’s all about personal fulfillment now.”
That’s why we set out to find the biggest bennie, the greatest gob of gravy, the most perfect perk in all of Perkland.
We found it at U.S. Cellular, where a honcho banned the use of interoffice e-mail on Fridays to combat what he called “cyber indigestion.”
Jodi Valenta, who works in the company’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa, office, told the Associated Press that she loves the new policy and that Fridays have become the most productive day of the week: “I can go out of the office and spend my time visiting associates across Iowa and not worry about my e-mail backing up.”
Think about it for a moment. No e-mail at work.
No more missives from human resources about “how to assess support measures for the development of integration skills.”
No more chain letters from your sister-in-law warning about parking lot attackers.
No more lengthy announcements about how Donna, whose dad, Bob, is the head of purchasing, finally had her baby (and it has a “thick head of black hair, just like his Grandpa!”)
No more corrupt attachments. No more ccs. No more exiled Costa Ricans with caches of hidden gold.
And, most important, no more of that guy in every office who sends an e-mail and then immediately walks across the room to ask the recipient: “Did you get my message?”
We know nothing about communication technology (it takes us 25 minutes to erase a text message), but when we heard about U.S. Cellular’s policy, we were tempted to dust off the ol’ resume.
U.S. Cellular was created in 1983 as a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems (TDS), Inc., which still owns an 81% stake.
Originally, U.S. Cellular used Digital AMPS "TDMA" cell phones in most markets, but the company has completed shifting over to 1xRTT CDMA technology and is currently[when?] converting its network to EVDO. U.S. Cellular has since discontinued all analog and TDMA services. U.S. Cellular plans to eventually use GSM based LTE for its future 4G network.[citation needed]
U.S. Cellular was the fifth-largest mobile phone company in the United States with 6.5 million customers as of the end of 2008. The company offers regional coverage in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, parts of the East and New England. Although headquartered in Chicago, U.S. Cellular did not offer service in the Chicago metropolitan area until it acquired territories from PrimeCo Communications between 2002 and 2003, after the formation of Verizon Wireless.[citation needed]
U.S. Cellular's Unlimited Call-Me feature allows users (including prepaid users) to receive calls without charge while in their local calling area. Customers with a current National plan can also receive incoming calls free nationwide. The company's phones also offer picture messaging and "easyedge" data services. In addition, they offer unlimited incoming text, picture, and video messages.[2]
The company touts its service, having one of the highest customer retention rates among its competitors, as reported by some market research firms.[3]
As a public service, U.S. Cellular works with[clarification needed] the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to provide free AMBER Alerts via text messaging.
On October 1, 2010, U.S. Cellular became the first wireless carrier ever[citation needed] to offer plans with features such as free phone replacement, one-and-done contracts, points-based rewards for customer loyalty, monthly minute overage protection, and a 5% monthly bill discount for establishing automatic paperless billing. This program was launched as the Belief Project.
U.S. Cellular offers a free battery swap program.
Before Belief Project
$3/per MB - Per MB Rate - Default Old Data Plan
$9.95/Month - Unlimited Data - didn't include web browser
$14.95/Month - Unlimited Data - included web browser
$29.95/Month - Unlimited Data - Required (Premium) Data Plan for Smartphones[5]
After Belief Project
$3/per day used - Per Day When Used - Default Current Data Plan
$15/Month - 50 MB Data for non-smartphones only
$30/Month - 5 GB Data (Required for Smartphones)
$0.25/MB for overage on data caps.
Workforce magazine, December 1999 -- Money is important, but it's not always the most important factor in determining whether employees stay with a company or leave for other opportunities. At Cellular One, "We believed in our heart of hearts that managers had a great deal to do with retention," says Karen King, director of organizational development and training. But before managers could act on that corporate belief, they needed to learn successful retention strategies and incorporate them into their own managerial styles. The basic question, King says, was clear: "What can we do other than throw money at people?"
The answer, of course, was to learn and incorporate effective retention strategies at all levels of management. But Cellular One wanted more than dime-a-dozen management theories. For real-world solutions, the firm turned to Integral Talent Systems, Inc., a Behavioral Technology partner. Its "Retaining Top Talent" program focused on the day-to-day realities that theories sometimes neglect, and also emphasized the Cellular One corporate culture.
"They had practical tools," King says, "and they customized them for us using our data." As a result, the data and examples are truly relevant to Cellular One.
Before offering the course to all managers, Cellular One and Integral Talent Systems ran a pilot project involving some vice presidents, directors, and managers. "Everyone, to a person, said the workshop was practical and should be conducted for other managers," King says. Now it's part of the company's mandatory training. The presence and commitment of senior managers was invaluable in ensuring the program's success, King says. That commitment has continued. Vice presidents routinely attend the workshop with their departments and review each manager's action plan.
That attention is worthwhile. King says retention figures for 1999 are 15 percent higher than for 1998 for information services employees, and 4.1 percent higher for finance employees. "Since the program started in 1996, we've seen a real shift in why people leave," she adds. In 1997, the top three reasons for leaving, in order, were relocation and personal reasons, higher salaries and lack of opportunity. One year later, in 1998, the top three causes of attrition were career changes, relocation and a perceived lack of opportunities, although the latter declined by 7 percent. Notably, salary issues were no longer among the key concerns.
These changes occurred because, since the training, "Managers think ahead now when it comes to retaining people," King says. Since attending the program, the sales division has created a career development program for each position, a skills matrix and a listing of educational opportunities to help each sales associate develop a personal career development plan. Results like that, King says, "show we're more committed to employee growth."
The folks at Google get homemade French toast in the morning with ginger-infused maple syrup and caramelized apples. Gratis.
We could go on, but we already know what you’re saying. And it likely includes the word “squat.”
That’s because most of us will never see the kind of perks that are handed out at some U.S. companies in the name of employee retention.
Each year, Fortune magazine comes out with a list of the best places to work. Each year, most of the companies on the list offer extras that go beyond free coffee and complimentary fanny packs emblazoned with the company logo.
Some of the examples will make you spit your Cheerios (or other leading brand):
Blockbuster offers health insurance for employees’ pets.
Amgen Biotechnology Co. has a staff florist.
Sun Microsystems has lactation rooms for nursing mothers.
The Container Store in Dallas has a staff yoga instructor.
The experts say such benefits help achieve something called “work/life balance.”
A healthy work/life balance, it seems, will lower a company’s turnover rate and save money that would otherwise be spent to recruit, relocate and train new workers.
The phrase dates back to 2005, when Spherion Corp., a Florida staffing and recruiting company, did a huge study that focused on the “troubling gap” between what workers want and what bosses think they want.
Employers that blow off work/life balance issues “expose themselves to a greater chance of employee burnout, lower productivity and eventual turnover,” Spherion Chief Executive Officer Roy Krause said.
That’s probably why S.C. Johnson & Son -- No. 7 on the Fortune list -- built an employee recreation complex and opened a child care center where photos of the kids are e-mailed to the parents throughout the workday.
Looking For Balance
Chason Hecht, said the quest for work/life balance represents a “social evolution,” especially among young workers who “don’t view their jobs as a way to simply put food on the table.”
Hecht is president of Retensa, a New York City firm that helps clients hang on to their best workers.
“Work is no longer a way to sustain yourself or your family,” he explained. “It’s all about personal fulfillment now.”
That’s why we set out to find the biggest bennie, the greatest gob of gravy, the most perfect perk in all of Perkland.
We found it at U.S. Cellular, where a honcho banned the use of interoffice e-mail on Fridays to combat what he called “cyber indigestion.”
Jodi Valenta, who works in the company’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa, office, told the Associated Press that she loves the new policy and that Fridays have become the most productive day of the week: “I can go out of the office and spend my time visiting associates across Iowa and not worry about my e-mail backing up.”
Think about it for a moment. No e-mail at work.
No more missives from human resources about “how to assess support measures for the development of integration skills.”
No more chain letters from your sister-in-law warning about parking lot attackers.
No more lengthy announcements about how Donna, whose dad, Bob, is the head of purchasing, finally had her baby (and it has a “thick head of black hair, just like his Grandpa!”)
No more corrupt attachments. No more ccs. No more exiled Costa Ricans with caches of hidden gold.
And, most important, no more of that guy in every office who sends an e-mail and then immediately walks across the room to ask the recipient: “Did you get my message?”
We know nothing about communication technology (it takes us 25 minutes to erase a text message), but when we heard about U.S. Cellular’s policy, we were tempted to dust off the ol’ resume.
U.S. Cellular was created in 1983 as a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems (TDS), Inc., which still owns an 81% stake.
Originally, U.S. Cellular used Digital AMPS "TDMA" cell phones in most markets, but the company has completed shifting over to 1xRTT CDMA technology and is currently[when?] converting its network to EVDO. U.S. Cellular has since discontinued all analog and TDMA services. U.S. Cellular plans to eventually use GSM based LTE for its future 4G network.[citation needed]
U.S. Cellular was the fifth-largest mobile phone company in the United States with 6.5 million customers as of the end of 2008. The company offers regional coverage in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, parts of the East and New England. Although headquartered in Chicago, U.S. Cellular did not offer service in the Chicago metropolitan area until it acquired territories from PrimeCo Communications between 2002 and 2003, after the formation of Verizon Wireless.[citation needed]
U.S. Cellular's Unlimited Call-Me feature allows users (including prepaid users) to receive calls without charge while in their local calling area. Customers with a current National plan can also receive incoming calls free nationwide. The company's phones also offer picture messaging and "easyedge" data services. In addition, they offer unlimited incoming text, picture, and video messages.[2]
The company touts its service, having one of the highest customer retention rates among its competitors, as reported by some market research firms.[3]
As a public service, U.S. Cellular works with[clarification needed] the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to provide free AMBER Alerts via text messaging.
On October 1, 2010, U.S. Cellular became the first wireless carrier ever[citation needed] to offer plans with features such as free phone replacement, one-and-done contracts, points-based rewards for customer loyalty, monthly minute overage protection, and a 5% monthly bill discount for establishing automatic paperless billing. This program was launched as the Belief Project.
U.S. Cellular offers a free battery swap program.
Before Belief Project
$3/per MB - Per MB Rate - Default Old Data Plan
$9.95/Month - Unlimited Data - didn't include web browser
$14.95/Month - Unlimited Data - included web browser
$29.95/Month - Unlimited Data - Required (Premium) Data Plan for Smartphones[5]
After Belief Project
$3/per day used - Per Day When Used - Default Current Data Plan
$15/Month - 50 MB Data for non-smartphones only
$30/Month - 5 GB Data (Required for Smartphones)
$0.25/MB for overage on data caps.
Workforce magazine, December 1999 -- Money is important, but it's not always the most important factor in determining whether employees stay with a company or leave for other opportunities. At Cellular One, "We believed in our heart of hearts that managers had a great deal to do with retention," says Karen King, director of organizational development and training. But before managers could act on that corporate belief, they needed to learn successful retention strategies and incorporate them into their own managerial styles. The basic question, King says, was clear: "What can we do other than throw money at people?"
The answer, of course, was to learn and incorporate effective retention strategies at all levels of management. But Cellular One wanted more than dime-a-dozen management theories. For real-world solutions, the firm turned to Integral Talent Systems, Inc., a Behavioral Technology partner. Its "Retaining Top Talent" program focused on the day-to-day realities that theories sometimes neglect, and also emphasized the Cellular One corporate culture.
"They had practical tools," King says, "and they customized them for us using our data." As a result, the data and examples are truly relevant to Cellular One.
Before offering the course to all managers, Cellular One and Integral Talent Systems ran a pilot project involving some vice presidents, directors, and managers. "Everyone, to a person, said the workshop was practical and should be conducted for other managers," King says. Now it's part of the company's mandatory training. The presence and commitment of senior managers was invaluable in ensuring the program's success, King says. That commitment has continued. Vice presidents routinely attend the workshop with their departments and review each manager's action plan.
That attention is worthwhile. King says retention figures for 1999 are 15 percent higher than for 1998 for information services employees, and 4.1 percent higher for finance employees. "Since the program started in 1996, we've seen a real shift in why people leave," she adds. In 1997, the top three reasons for leaving, in order, were relocation and personal reasons, higher salaries and lack of opportunity. One year later, in 1998, the top three causes of attrition were career changes, relocation and a perceived lack of opportunities, although the latter declined by 7 percent. Notably, salary issues were no longer among the key concerns.
These changes occurred because, since the training, "Managers think ahead now when it comes to retaining people," King says. Since attending the program, the sales division has created a career development program for each position, a skills matrix and a listing of educational opportunities to help each sales associate develop a personal career development plan. Results like that, King says, "show we're more committed to employee growth."