On this first anniversary of the demise of Woolworths, a number of ex-employees have been interviewed in the media. I was struck by the enthusiasm they showed for their previous employer; how positive and engaged they still were despite having lost their livelihoods. These people were proud to have worked for Woolworths.
It suggests that whatever may have gone wrong at the firm, its managers did a great job of creating an engaged workforce. And I guess it suggests that engagement on its own is not enough, you need the right strategy, cost structure and processes as well.
In support of this, many of these past employees now seem to be working in stores that offer a similar proposition to that offered by Woolworths, even down to their names – Wellworths being one that springs to mind.
Well done guys and all the best
