| By Ben Behrouzi |
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| October 25, 2009 02:00 AM EDT |
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I was once asked by Forbes to offer up some experience around some actions companies can take during tough economic times like these to maintain or even increase employee happiness and wellbeing. We all know that without a happy and thriving team, there's no growth, especially in a recession.
At DotNext we strive to employ a two pronged approach to increasing team happiness and wellbeing during recession times like these.
First Method:
First, we immediately roll out substantial, structured and predictable performance based compensation in the form of bonuses and spiffs. Nearly anyone, including managers and directors, can earn additional compensation if they are able to perform above general standards on a challenge by challenge basis. As a result, regardless of economic slow downs, team members are still able to maintain control over their financial destiny.
Second Method:
Second, we aggressively enhance the quality, frequency and quantity of spirited culture activities that play directly into happiness and wellbeing. For example, our team holds competitive monthly ping pong tournaments, gathers weekly at pubs and cafes, has weekly trivia contests and just recently joined a corporate softball league. Simply put, there is a direct correlation between increased positive cultural events and team happiness and production.
Each of these efforts enhances our level of happiness, strengthens our bonds and positions us for great production and growth even in recession times.
Ben Behrouzi, Founder of DotNext and Co-founder of Reply.com, is a serial entrepreneur from the San Francisco Bay Area.
He has been fortunate enough to be a part of building over 25 multimillion dollar startups and online services from the ground up, including LeapFish.com, Reply.com, iMotors, AgentConnect, iCastle and others. Our companies have produced hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, several million dollars in profits, served hundreds of thousands of clients & customers nationwide and given thousands back to communities and charities.
In 2001 he co-founded Reply.com at the age of 20 and lead the full detailed architecture and engineering of Reply.com's service products and state-of-the-art technology infrastructure. His efforts have produced over 20 multi-million dollar profitable service provider products, services and technology platforms including Reply.com, iMotors.com, AgentConnect.com, CarClub.com, OpenAuto.com, RealtyNow.com, iCastle.com and others to grow the company to over $30M in annual revenues and $17M in funding prior to my leaving in 2006.
In 2006 he founded DotNext, a venture firm dedicated to creating and operating a variety of Internet companies that challenge the status quo. With nearly 100 employees and multi-million annual revenues, we own and operate brands including LeapFish.com, iHype.com, Ziddler and others currently growing inside of DotNext.
Ben is a strong proponent of change and justice and strives to contribute to the sweeping change that will slowly tip us over into becoming better citizens of our planet.
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