It’s been awhile since I indulged myself in some romantic comedy and Keeping Up With the Joneses did not disappoint. Not only did it provide relational material to neighborly interactions, it also provided suspense, action and a good HR-driven plot. The lead character Jeff Gaffney, played by Zach Galifianakis, is Head of HR at MBI, an aerospace and defense company. The Joneses, Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot and Mad Men hunk Jon Hamm, move in because someone on the inside of MBI is leaking information jeopardizing national security. The Gaffneys, Jeff and his wife Karen, played by Isla Fisher, team up to figure out who.
Along with the laughs, suspense and everything in between, HR can take away the following:
1. Communication
As head of HR, Jeff Gaffney prides himself on good communication. His wife claims it’s the center of their household. “He’s a great communicator. Communication is at the center of our family,” she confesses to Mrs. Jones in a scene where he asks to sit down with the internal leak at MBI. As Mr. Jones concurs to his wife, “It’s what he does.” In the HR role at MBI, he prides himself on communicating to problem solve through any situation.
Any great company knows that communication should be key. Glassdoor shouldn’t be the first time a company is hearing or learning new information. A good company is aware of their strengths and weaknesses and how that might impact employees. A two-sided jobs marketplace where employers are able to acknowledge and respond to key themes from reviews about their organization helps give candidates the inside scoop on what it takes to work there for the long run.
2. Connection
Jeff Gaffney also prides himself on being able to connect in a real and meaningful way to get people to open up. Whether it’s that an employee was denied a raise five times or a husband seeking a new career path, he emphasizes empathy and connection as the path to getting someone to open up. Even if that connection is at the risk of blowing his cover, Jeff tries to find a way to connect with current or former MBI employees at all cost.
HR is in a unique space at an organization to build that connection and allow people to plug into the culture in a meaningful way. Finding what drives people and each individual role can make all the difference. Partnering with recruiters to incorporate those messages into each job description – that’s the golden ticket! Exit interviews are also critical to learning what a company can do better for future employees.
3. Balance
Mr. Jones in the movie is seeking an alternative career path to allow him the freedom to settle down and start a family. His wife agrees the existing role they are in doesn’t allow for the freedom and safety that it takes to raise a family. She’s willing to change, but in one scene Mr. Jones slyly says, “but don’t change too much, okay?”
At companies, people embody unique talent that helps drive your organization. Find out what motivates each member and drive employees in ways to make them the most productive. Whether you employ members of the government, security and aerospace or otherwise, keeping people happy by using key drivers and providing balance will retain them for the long haul.
Keeping work exciting is no easy task, but can pay in dividends. Companies with a formal engagement strategy in place are 67% more likely to improve their revenue per full-time equivalent on a year-over-year basis.(1) Boosting employee satisfaction by one Glassdoor rating point raises the market value of a company by 7.9%.(2) Educating employees on how to breathe through stress and coping with high and lows of stressful work environments can prove it’s worth the investment. In the ending of Keeping Up With the Joneses, we learn that no job is easy, the grass is always greener and making work exciting away from home and family is always worth it.
Check out our complete employee engagement strategies or watch Keeping Up with the Joneses for more inspiration!
