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> Also, their management to worker ratio. Can you elaborate?

• dredmorbius 11y ago
  From this line of the article, quite low: "A distribution-center manager overseeing 800 associates..." That is, many workers per manager. Which suggests that workers 1) know their jobs, 2) do them, and 3) managers facilitate and largely get out of the way.
  • sukilot 11y ago
    Is that uncommon for warehouse/factory work?
  • nickpsecurity 11y ago
    Exactly. Likewise, their stores had 400 workers and 2 managers. Most retail workers I know say their company keeps staff too low to get the job done while having way too many managers with micromanagement. One of the top chains local store recently had only 2 stockers per fast moving department with about 40 managers auditing and coaching them on best practices. Walmart and Target employees told me they had similar issues but not as extreme effect. So, as dredmorbius says, they have managers that pick good employees, give them incentives, show them justifiable best practices, listen to feedback, and otherwise stay out of the way. And the management works for the employees, who are the shareholders, not Wall St. Results: highest profit in industry, highest customer satisfaction, one of highest retention, and little risk in operation. IT startups should copy this if they're not just about selling out.
    • allochthon 11y ago
      > Most retail workers I know say their company keeps staff too low to get the job done while having way too many managers with micromanagement. This is definitely not a problem limited to retail. I see it all the time in software development.
      • nickpsecurity 11y ago
        I believe it. One grunt I know always says "too many chiefs and not enough Indians" in all these companies.