BOB SELLE, chief human resources officer for Ocean State Job Lot, talks about the success of the retailer, which was recently named one of America’s Best Midsize Employers by Forbes magazine. The company ranked eighth among retailers nationwide and is one of three Rhode Island companies on the list.
Why is employee satisfaction important to a business? There are many catchy words used throughout the last decade to capture what really drives commitment and loyalty to an organization – words [such as] engagement, satisfaction and loyalty, to name a few. For Ocean State Job Lot, the heart of employee satisfaction is ensuring that we are the very best place we can be for our associates. We call this being an employer of choice. It’s really as simple as an associate who is proud to recommend us as a place to shop and work. We know they are proud and will put forth extra effort – it’s a win-win for everyone.
How does OSJL ensure employee satisfaction among its 4,000 employees? Is employee satisfaction more difficult to achieve with a midsize company as opposed to a smaller business, or are the principles the same? The common link to ensuring we are pulling in the same direction is our values. We take great pride in ensuring associates understand what makes working for us a rewarding and unique experience. Our CEO, Marc Perlman, said it best, “As we grow, we’re bringing more and more people on to the team. Those people are working farther and farther afield, with less opportunity to interact with the owners and leaders of the company. Given that fact, we realize our culture is an important ingredient for our continued success. Members of management and our associates need to all be working toward the same goals, and playing by the same rules.”
Are there unique employment challenges in the retail industry? What is your greatest employment challenge? The challenge is ensuring you are hiring the right people who are aligned with the culture of the organization. We want and expect that all those who join the family are committed to our values. They are unique to Ocean State Job Lot, however, if you do not align with them, it will not be a rewarding experience. Another challenge is making sure that our benefits and perks meet the needs of a diverse workforce to the best of our ability. We work very hard at listening to our associates and then offering benefits that are very diverse. For example, we offer discounts for purchasing a car through an affiliated dealership, pet insurance, use of the company condo and RV, paid life insurance for everyone working over 20 hours a week, and that is just the beginning.
Does OSJL have a clear company culture? Is workplace culture something that company leadership addresses? The answer is yes. Our values, which are foundational to our success, speak to it very well. A few highlights of our workplace culture and values are as follows:
• Remember we are in the service business.
• Understand that strong teams outperform strong individuals.
• Grow to create recognition and advancement opportunities for team members.
• Embrace diversity; everyone is welcome.
Lastly, we are a customer-focused organization that models our TREAT initiative: Be customer service-minded and treat everyone internally or externally with the respect they deserve.
