The "Little Red Wagon" company is doing culture right!

Companies everywhere are facing staffing shortages. While leaders have tried to boost hiring by offering higher wages and bonuses, they struggle to fill positions.

What’s the problem? While many business leaders want to return to the “old normal,” employees and candidates don’t want that “old normal.” A 2024 Deloitte study found that the top four things Gen-Z and millennial workers want today are work/life balance, development opportunities, higher salaries, and a positive culture.

What should senior leaders do if money isn’t the sole motivator for Gen-Z and millennial workers?

Business leaders must address Gen Z and millennial wants and needs. They must create and sustain a work culture in which employees from all generations are respected and valued for their aligned ideas, efforts, and accomplishments.

Radio Flyer is a company that does this right. The 100+-year-old company, known for its iconic red wagons, has earned recognition as one of the best places to work over the past decade, earning accolades from Glassdoor, Crain’s, The Inc. 5000 list, and many others.

Glassdoor tracks employee ratings in seven critical categories. Radio Flyer’s scores average a 4.9 on a 5-point scale.

How did Radio Flyer’s leadership build their uncompromising culture? Mark Babbitt and I interviewed Chief Wagon Officer Robert Pasin for our 2021 book, Good Comes First. Radio Flyer's efforts followed our proven culture refinement process.

First, they defined the culture they wanted—gathering input from all staff. “We did a very intentional culture transformation where we started to articulate our vision, mission, and values,” Pasin explained.

“We plastered the cafeteria walls with huge posters,” letting every employee contribute by writing their thoughts. “This is when the behaviors we want were articulated,” Pasin said.

Second, they aligned all plans, decisions, and actions with their desired culture. Robert explained, “You get better at what you measure and become what you celebrate as a team. We started to develop a lot of awards and recognition for people who demonstrated our values.”

Third, as the company defined and celebrated its values and behaviors, Pasin emphasized, “We had to have zero tolerance for bad behavior.” When employees behaved disrespectfully, they were coached and mentored. If they aligned with the desired behaviors, they stayed. If they did not align, they were lovingly set free.

Pasin says, “People are so grateful not to have the distractions, the politics, etc., here because we have no tolerance for drama.”

Sustaining an uncompromising work culture requires consistent daily modeling, measuring, and mentoring—from every leader at every level. This is how you give your team members what they want and need.