Sleep & Loyalty

Last week, on an 11 hour flight, we got all 3 kids to sleep.?

That wasn’t the miracle.?

The miracle is what I heard from the flight attendants:

“I’ve been at 3 different airlines. I’ll stay here until I’m in the grave”

“Nope, I haven’t been here that long, just 18 years.”

Imagine a workplace where people stick around for decades, not because they're stuck, but because they're fulfilled.

I've spent the last 5+ years talking with thousands of employees in Kunik Conversations every day. You never hear things like this. At least not outside a marketing video. Companies would pay big money to have their employees talking like that.

This is the reality Delta has created.

The secret? They tapped into the "Why." Their employees aren't just pushing beverage carts and checking seat belts; they're part of a mission to connect the world. That sense of purpose is intoxicating.?

And it's more than warm & fuzzies. Delta has systematically built a culture of belonging and growth.

For example, they offer profit-sharing, which turned into a $1.6 billion windfall for employees in 2020. That's not just a bonus; it's a statement: "We're all in this together."

They also don’t train employees, they cultivate ambassadors and have a culture of continuous learning. Want to learn Mandarin to better serve passengers? Delta's got your back. That sort of opportunity isn't just professional development; it's personal growth on the company dime.

But here's where it gets really interesting. Delta has mastered the art of creating meaningful work. They've tapped into that deep human need for purpose, for being part of something bigger than ourselves. Their employees aren't simply moving people from A to B; they're reuniting families, kick-starting adventures, facilitating business deals that could change the world.

This isn't feel-good corporate speak; it's a powerful driver of engagement and innovation.

And it pays.?

For 10+ years, Delta has consistently been ranked the top US airline. And unsurprisingly, a top place to work.?

What's that look like in action? Let's break it down:

1. Retention: In an era where the average employee tenure is 4.1 years, Delta's 18+ year veterans are unicorns. That’s money. The cost of turnover can reach 213%. Do the math.
2. Customer Satisfaction: Happy employees = happy customers. Companies with engaged employees outperform those without by 202%.
3. Innovation: When people feel secure and valued, they take risks. They innovate. They go above and beyond. This is where breakthroughs happen.
4. Productivity: Engaged employees are 17% more productive. That's like getting an extra day of work every week.
5. Employer Brand: A strong employer brand is a secret weapon.?

And here's the kicker, this kind of loyalty creates a virtuous cycle. Loyal employees create great experiences, which create loyal customers, which drive business success, which reinforces employee loyalty. It's a flywheel that, once started, is hard to stop.

It isn't just a case study in employee satisfaction; it's a masterclass in human motivation and organizational psychology.

How can you get there too? Start small. Experiment. Find your company's "Why." Most importantly, actually invest in growth and connection. Measure the results. Iterate.

This is exactly what Kunik does with employers every day. That's why listening to those flight attendants was so meaningful to me. It was proof. Affirmation.?

Delta Air Lines isn’t a client (yet!) but what those employees said demonstrates exactly why the work we do with our clients both matters and pays off. What Kunik does boils down to something really simple: we build connection, learning and growth across your company in order to drive performance, retention, and engagement.

It's exactly that sentiment that my flight attendants felt and were so freely expressing. You don't get there overnight, you can't buy it off-the-shelf. It's intentionally, systematically built and scaled over time. And it's what separates the winners from the losers.

We say it all the time, and this time I heard it real time. A bonded workforce is a happy workforce is a high performing workforce. You can have the best business plan in the world, but without a bonded, engaged workforce, it's just words on paper.

How are you bonding your teams and driving employee loyalty - and big wins - like Delta?

Join us:

1. Employee Experience Roundtable: CEO Ansel Duff digs into how to make feedback + performance management more inclusive, responsive and primed for personal and organizational growth
2. ERG Roundtable: Cross-ERG collaboration: how to drive higher engagement and bigger business impact?

What we’re reading

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• Corporate women’s gains fall victim to anti-woke backlash?
• Overworked + underpaid: great resignation 2.0 is simmering?
• No one wants to sound clueless about AI, especially your boss
• It has never been harder, or more essential, to have a work best friend