Employment enjoyment: How some do it

Sydney Stoehr was fresh out of Miami University when she got hired at Marsh, an award-winning, 60-person design agency in Cincinnati whose clients include such big-time brands as Coca-Cola, Air Wick, Lysol and Sherwin Williams. She was delighted and eager to be a rookie project manager in the business development department.

Then she had a dilemma.

She was asked to lead a 21-day canoe trip in Saskatchewan, an opportunity she was well suited for because of many summers spent on the rivers in parts of the Canadian wilderness accessible only by float planes and trains.

Cincinnati and a career step vs. Saskatchewan and a fabulous experience. A hard-to-come-by job vs. a great trip.

No problem, said her boss, Alan Roth. Go and enjoy yourself; we'll be here when you get back.

"I was shocked I could take this much time off already. . .I knew I was fortunate," Stoehr, 23, says.

Her friends were impressed. She recalls them saying "Wow! Can I work where you work?"

Back at her desk, she had heightened belief that indulging in one's passion "is what drives creative output," she says. And she wanted to show her boss he'd made the right decision.

"I think loyalty is a great word to describe this in terms of my employment," she says. "Allowing people to follow their passions absolutely increases the quality of work and retention rates."

Stoehr has a long-term vision of being an entrepreneur or executive some day. This experience has taught her that "It's really valuable to get employees who work hard and play hard."

That jives with a popular article that appeared in Entrepreneur magazine, "5 Employee Motivation Myths Debunked" by David Javitch, an organizational psychologist and consultant. He says money provides only a burst of happiness. Recognition has value. So does knowing what drives the individuals.

"A smart employer creates the atmosphere that allows and encourages the employee to be motivated. That employer also gets to know what his staff is interested in doing to advance company goals and what parts of the job description are interesting or exciting vs. boring," Javitch writes.

At Agil IT, an 11-year-old, 22-employee healthcare information technology firm in Troy, CEO Wes Gipe and CFO/HR manager Ron Moore strive for a fulfilling work climate by being very selective in their hiring process and very communicative afterward.

Gipe says as his company has grown over the years it's become more "sophisticated" about selecting candidates. In fact, during a first-time interview, a candidate's resume may not even be discussed. Agil IT is looking for people with "a cultural fit." He tries to find out what it takes to get the best results from someone, and applies rules consistently.

Both executives say they want workers to stay on board because they want to be part of the Agil IT "tribe," not because they're cowering in fear being unemployed.

"The worst scenario is somebody who feels like they can't leave. They won't be as happy as productive as they could," Moore says.

Gipe has funded a "very rich" health plan every year Agil IT has operated. Plus, "we haven't cut benefits or frozen pay, which makes us a little unusual," adds Moore. And for two hours a month the whole company goes off-site -- to Aileron, a Dayton-area organization that that focuses on the development of privately held business as a way to raise "the quality of life for many." 

Part of the time is spent troubleshooting work activities and tracking progress on the strategic objectives.

"Employees will feel better if they know management is trying to grow the company," Moore says. He also says it helps when everyone keeps their eyes on the long term.

"Results may not be visible for some time; you have to be patient."

Another part of time at the off-site meeting is spent on "personal development" issues, like a personal financial responsibility course. Upon successful completion of that course, each Agil IT employee got an extra $500 for investing in his or her retirement plan.

Gipe emphasizes the importance of sincerity, too. "You can't look like you care about your employees if you don't�It should be genuine. People will pick up on that."

He adds: "I have a wonderful team of people who are passionate about their work. I've been blessed beyond belief."