When your firm has job titles like dungeon designer and loremaster and the statue in front of company headquarters is a 12-foot-tall, 2-ton Orc riding a wolf, you know you don't work in an everyday sort of company. Welcome to life at Irvine, California-based Blizzard Entertainment, developers of Warcraft and other video game franchises with hundreds of millions of enthusiastic fans all over the world. If you haven't played a Blizzard game, chances are you've played one produced by one of its corporate siblings in the Activision Blizzard empiretitles that include Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and the Candy Crush Saga series.

As one of the three recent college graduates who founded Blizzard in 1991, company president Michael Morhaime guides strategic direction and watches over a workforce that has been cranking out hits for three decades. Although Blizzard shares some key attributes with other technology-driven companies, one thing stands out, particularly in contrast to many tech firms further up the coast in Silicon Valley: the longevity of that workforce. In an industry where job-hopping is considered normal, Blizzard employees clearly like the company enough to spend years of their working lives there.

Many companies acknowledge longevity with awards at major intervals such as 5 or 10 years, but few do it with the panache of Blizzard. Where else are you given a richly decorated sword after 5 years, a shield after 10 years, or an ornate helm (similar to a helmet) at 20 yearsall inspired by the games you've been contributing to throughout your career? These service awards are presented in celebrations that acknowledge the contributions employees have made in their years at the company. (You can see at the rewards employees receive at eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/company/about/service-awards.html.)

Respect for longevity is a sign of an organizational culture that values employees and maintains an atmosphere in which people want to stay. In fact, respect for employees is one of several key aspects of Blizzard's culture that can motivate people to perform their best work and remain committed to the company's vision year after year. As Morhaime puts it, "Honestly, one of the things I'm most proud of about Blizzard is that disagreeing is okay. A really good culture actually encourages healthy debate." Another company manager explains that, "You are here because you are great, and you're expected to do great things and be an active voice in what we're building."

Another important factor is the emphasis on doing quality work. Professionals who are committed to doing their best can't abide doing substandard work, and being forced to compromise because of deadlines, budgets, or an organizational tolerance for shoddiness can be a major demotivator. In contrast to the usual corporate practice of setting product release deadlines and then compromising on quality or capability if necessary to meet the date, Blizzard employees are allowed to keep iterating and improving products until they get them right.

A strong sense of community is another important "stickiness" factor when it comes to keeping employees engaged. One employee offered the following comment in an anonymous online review of the company: "Blizzard is such a relationship-driven company. It's refreshing to see a company that prides itself on that first." That strong sense of connection helps employees celebrate the highs and survive the lowsand keeps them working together.

The opportunity to grow, both professionally and personally, is yet another strong motivator. The company rewards talent and dedication foremost, and it isn't too concerned about where or how an employee got started. Many of the top creative professionals started in administrative positions or elsewhere in the company but proved themselves capable of contributing on a broader scale and were given the opportunity to do so. In fact, one of the company's eight core values is "Every voice matters." All employees are encouraged to contribute new ideas, to challenge existing ideas, and to embrace criticism as a vital way to learn.

Growth is also encouraged with a full slate of learning opportunities. Many companies offer training courses to employees, but at Blizzard, employees can take courses in sword fighting, martial arts, modeling, screenwriting, weight liftingand the list goes on. Some of these courses relate to current or future work responsibilities, but others simply provide an opportunity to grow on a personal level.

The firm's culture and support for employees is clearly paying off. The company maintains very high ratings on anonymous employee surveys such as Glassdoor, with almost unanimous approval of Morhaime's work as president, and makes regular appearances on "best places to work" lists. The business of fun is serious business, and Blizzard's concern for employees is likely to keep its workforce engaged and motivated for years to come.

10-1. Would someone who isn't interested in video games find it motivating to work at Blizzard? Why or why not?

10-2. Would Blizzard need to use different motivational strategies for people who work on the creative side and the business side of the company? Why or why not?

10-3. How might a company that isn't in a "fun" industry use the motivational techniques that Blizzard uses?