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Given the diversity of the work force, and the
proliferation of new benefits, it's almost impossible to keep everyone happy, no matter how hard you try. Nobody knows this better than Edward Link,
president in marketing employee-benefit programs to other companies. What's critical, says Link, is to take care of your key people - a piece
of advice that he follows at his own company.
At the beginning of every year, Link spends several hours in private with each of the five or six
employees he can least afford to lose. During these meetings, he asks the person what he or she really needs. It may be extra life insurance,
tax-deferred income, or a new car. In one case, the employee just wanted more time with the boss. "I try to focus on them," says Link, "and try not
to superimpose what I'd like them to have."
Link says he couldn't afford to do this with all 52 of his employees, but he feels
he has to try to accommodate his top performers. "You can't treat everyone equally, because they're not producing equally. But if I lose a key
person, it will take at least a year for the business to recover." |
