Sir Richard Branson recently spoke at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas, criticizing the vacation and flextime policies of American companies, HR Daily Advisor reported. An entrepreneur who has started about 300 companies, he stated employees are too scared to ask for needed time to reenergize and spend with family.
Underscoring the importance of team building, Branson indicated a CEO should be an inspiration and source of praise, as well as cultivate an ability to listen and act on feedback.
A good CEO and good human resource system can create, develop and perpetuate the kind of corporate culture that employees want to be a part of, according to Branson. This will attract new talent and keep current workers happy to stay.
Specifically, he noted frequent past success in promoting from within the company. For example, two of those heading his companies used to be a switch board operator and cleaning lady, respectively.
He also advocated improving the structure of vacations, stating that employees may want to work part-time, job share, or take six-month leaves, and that current practices do not support such behaviors.
