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In today's business podcast, we will discuss what makes an employee stay in a job, and how Google does it in such flamboyant fashion.

Google is the number 1 company to work for, according to Fortune magazine. No wonder, since they offer free food and a host of free services to them! Google is supposedly such a great place to be, that even people who DON'T work there stop by and loiter.

Chicken or the Egg: Are Google Employees lavished with gifts and services because the company is so rich, or is the company so rich because they lavish the Employees with freebies?

I've seen it personally. When a business has money to spare, they can afford to offer Employees luxuries, like tuition reimbursement and more sick days. But when business turns bad, everything gets taken away - along with the great attitude everyone once had. Could the same thing happen to Google?

What is Google doing right to retain employees that WE can do to retain associates and employees?

1. They treat employees as people, recognizing their human needs and attempting to meet them instead of punishing them for having them.
2. They encourage and reward innovation, believing that their employees' ideas could be their next great project.
3. They make the work environment so comfortable, people actually don't want to leave it.
4. They attempt to remove all of the reasons why people can't come to work by providing all of those things on-site.

You can listen to the business podcast to hear all of what they do (which is incredible, to say the least), but I love the fact that you can do your laundry, visit a doctor for free, get your oil changed, and more - at work. Now, even if you are sick, you can still come to work - just to see your doctor!

I brainstorm about ideas that we can all apply to our own businesses in order to make the people we work with - associates, employees AND clients - feel as though they are appreciated, important and valued.

It doesn't take much, just the desire to do it, and a little brainstorming. You might even help your clients get more business along the way. Wouldn't that make them love you even more? <smile>

We're ramping up for the April 20-21, 2007 Online International Podcasting Expo - I'd love to see you there.

We have a line up of 30 seminars, with more to be scheduled, so it should be a great time for all. We meet in audio/visual conference rooms, talk, learn, and network. All you need is an internet connection and a headset microphone (or just speakers if you only want to listen and not participate verbally).

Next week, we'll talk about some other companies that make working for them a dream. Until then, start putting some of those dreams into action. Work on just ONE idea this week!

Penny Haynes, 1st Podcast Publishing & Digital Business Books