Client Spotlight - Radio Flyer

It is bright, shiny, new, and it can take you places you never dreamed possible. Although I could be alluding to a certain little red wagon, I am actually referring to a career with Radio Flyer. Everyone knows Radio Flyer has been making children happy for generations, but people may not know the same holds true for its employees. With more than 10 awards in the past few years for being a top employer, including HR Solutions' Best-in-Class^® Award, the organization is attracting attention by simply understanding adults want to have fun too.

Radio Flyer does not waste any time Engaging new staff members. On their first day, new hires receive a welcome wagon that goes far beyond a typical meet-and-greet; they receive an actual Radio Flyer wagon to take home and "play" with so they can reconnect with the fun-loving child within. Senior Leadership understands feeling valued and appreciated is a key driver of Employee Engagement, so making employees (aka Flyers) feel immediately welcome is essential. Receiving a literal welcome wagon also immediately connects Flyers to the brand, which fosters strong employee support of brand management from day one.

The fun does not stop for Flyers after the first day on the job. Creating a fun and rewarding culture for staff members at all seniority levels is a top priority. Flyers are shown their hard work is recognized through various events and awards. Radio Flyer parties and celebrations are held regularly to encourage camaraderie. Celebrations occur about once a month and range from the December Holiday Party where each Flyer receives their choice of a Honey Baked Ham or a fruit basket, to "Maya Del Sol", the surprise celebration where Flyers find out they can leave work early to enjoy food, drinks and mariachi band. This month, the Halloween Party is on the forefront of Flyers' minds, as it is one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Flyers look forward to participating in a highly-competitive pumpkin carving contest and costume contest. Chief Wagon Officer (CWO), Robert Pasin, believes providing activities that serve as a creative outlet is beneficial to Flyer well-being and helps shape a fun company culture.

In addition to company events, Radio Flyer has several different awards programs to formally recognize individuals for their hard work. At the Breakfast of Customer Service Champions, Senior Leadership serves breakfast to staff members and honors top performers in various departments. In addition, on-site massages are offered during Customer Service Week to thank staff for their efforts in providing "Fast, Friendly and Effective Service." Flyers are also acknowledged at monthly company meetings and asked to present on key successes. These opportunities to be recognized in front of their peers are valued highly by staff members. Pasin believes it is also important for executive level staff to get personally involved in showing recognition. As a best practice, he writes a personalized thank you note to each Flyer on their yearly anniversary with the company.

Radio Flyer believes communication within the organization is an Engagement driver that cannot be overlooked. Senior Leadership encourages all staff members to make decisions that benefit the company, empowering Flyers to take ownership of their position. As a best practice, Flyers are asked to provide feedback on any ideas or suggestions for changes. Encouraging this kind of openness has cultivated an environment of trust where everyone is committed to improving the organization.

Although Radio Flyer has long fostered a company culture that promotes staff member feedback, managers thought they would receive more candid responses if Flyers were given a chance to respond anonymously. Senior Leadership also wanted to measure Flyer Engagement to take a pulse of how successful their efforts had been, and learn areas for improvement in policy and culture. In 2009, Radio Flyer partnered with HR Solutions to conduct an Engagement Survey and subsequent action planning. The survey results showed Radio Flyer was far above international Employee Engagement norms in every single dimension for both their U.S. and China locations. The overwhelming theme of staff feedback showed 80-90 percent of Flyers responded favorably to each item included in the survey. For some items, these results were more than 40 percentage points above national norms.

The most favorable responses from the U.S. office include:

• "This organization makes it possible for employees to directly contribute to its success."
        o 98 percent agree


• "I am satisfied with the various events this organization uses to show its appreciation of employees (such as Holiday party, service awards, employee of the month, etc.)"
        o 98 percent agree


• "My supervisor lets employees know when they have done a good job."
        o 94 percent agree


• "Senior management of this organization is concerned about the employees."
        o 94 percent agree

These results earned Radio Flyer Best-in-Class^® scores, showing the organization was competitive even within the top 10 percent of all organizations surveyed. Radio Flyer's lowest scoring survey items were still seven percentage points higher than the national norm and by many standards, worthy of celebration. However, instead of being satisfied with above-average Employee Engagement results, management viewed all scores as an opportunity for improvement. The organization continued practicing what it was already doing well, and focused on how to ameliorate current programs. Essentially, the best practice of asking for feedback led to the creation of even more best practices.

Since the survey, an emphasis has been placed on career development opportunities within the organization. Senior Leadership understands a key driver for Engagement is supervisors' encouragement of employee career growth, and management has been working hard to provide additional career guidance and support. Flyers' survey feedback showed they wanted a clear path to follow for professional advancement, so new initiatives have been created to provide "Career Ladders" for the future. A career discussion segment has also been added to the Goals Period Review meetings and Flyers meet with their supervisor three times per year to discuss their future with the organization.

Senior Leadership has also increased communication regarding the organization's charitable donations. In the survey, Flyers made it known that philanthropy was important to them. As a best practice, Radio Flyer was already involved in giving a great deal of support to non-profit organizations, but most Flyers were unaware of the multitude of contributions made by the organization. Management saw a change was needed to involve staff members in all company giving initiatives. Senior Leadership gave a presentation highlighting the organizational philanthropic efforts already in place and staff was pleased to learn the extent of Radio Flyer's involvement in the community. A Social Responsibility Committee was formed in July 2010, which gives Flyers the opportunity to have a more hands-on approach and participate in various outreach programs. Management is delighted this change in approach has received such a positive response from Flyers.

Radio Flyer has long been a model for an Engaged workforce. Even when their survey scores were well above average, they still made an effort to improve. As a direct result of great management and direction, 92 percent of Flyers look forward to coming to work every day. (And it is not just because of regular company tricycle races!) Radio Flyer's best practices in creating an environment that attracts and retains top talent serves as an example for organizations across all industries.

Click here to watch a video of WGN's coverage of Radio Flyer's 2009 Halloween celebration.

* HR Solutions' International Normative Database consists of approximately 3.3 million responses from 2,400 organizations.