Case Study - A Different Take to Engaging Employees: The Case of Netflix

Chapter 6.7

Successful organizations and leaders are very interested in employee engagement and motivation. It is common practice for organizations to conduct employee surveys to monitor and improve employee engagement. Understanding how employees are motivated also allows organizations and leaders to improve.

• Read the Netflix case in the text and answer the discussion questions

Case Discussion Questions

1. How does Netflix motivate employees? Which of the approaches in chapter 6 (job design, incentives, and performance appraisals) are being utilized to motivate Netflix employees?

2. What do you think about the absence of policies such as vacations, travel, or expense reimbursement? What are the downsides of not having such policies? What is Netflix gaining as a result of not having them?

3. Why does Netflix avoid using financial incentives other than stocks? Would instituting bonuses and other incentives increase motivation? Why or why not?

4. What do you think about companies eliminating performance appraisals? What makes the absence of performance appraisals work?

Expand your Learning

• View the Daniel Pink TED Talk on Motivation: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation
• Review the Gallup Q12 questions below
• Relate what you learn to your personal experience. What did you learn? What was most interesting? How might you apply this moving forward?
• Share your key learning with others

Gallup Q12 Questions:

What exactly is the Q12? An ongoing employee survey that measures employee engagement, the Q12 consists of 12 actionable workplace elements that offer proven links to performance outcomes. Gallup spent years conducting thousands of interviews across most industries in multiple countries. It was in the late 90s that questioning was finalized and since then, its been administered to more than 25 million employees in 195 countries in 70 languages. Here are the 12 questions.

1. Do you know what is expected of you at work?

2. Do you have the materials and equipment to do your work right?

3. At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

4. In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?

5. Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?

6. Is there someone at work who encourages your development?

7. At work, do your opinions seem to count?

8. Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?

9. Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?

10. Do you have a best friend at work?

11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?

12. In the last year, have you had opportunities to learn and grow?