Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Beth Mulhern, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

NIKE, Inc. was born on the dreams of Phil Knight, a competitive runner for the University of Oregon, and his coach, Bill Bowerman. Back in the mid-1950’s, long before the famous Nike “Swoosh” came along, Coach Bowerman wanted better running shoes for his track team than were available on the market, and Phil Knight, who graduated and earned his MBA, had a vision of marketing the best running shoes in the world in a brand new way in the US. They shared their visions and Blue Ribbon Sports, later to become NIKE, Inc., came to be, and now includes the wholly-owned subsidiaries of Cole Haan, Converse Inc., Hurley International LLC, NIKE Golf, and Umbro Ltd.

Nike, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, was an $18.6 billion dollar company at the end of 2008, and has plans to grow to $23 billion in revenue by the end of fiscal 2011. The company employs over 30,000 people across six continents, in more than 160 countries around the globe. They directly or indirectly employ nearly one million people through their suppliers, shippers, retailers and other service providers. Their mission statement, “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete”, has at its core the belief of its co-founder, Bill Bowerman that “if you have a body, you are an athlete.” They state their corporate goal like this:
Our goal is to carry on his legacy of innovative thinking, whether to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential, or to create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders.

It’s refreshing that a multi-billion dollar corporation features a strong policy on environmental responsibility, especially in regards to climate change.  They summarize it clearly:

Nike sees corporate responsibility as an integral part of how we can use the power of our brand, the energy and passion of our people, and the scale of our business to create meaningful change.
Nike, Inc. also takes great pride in an innovative and inspirational corporate culture, which embraces diversity, imagination and creativity.   For example, Nike has a very innovative marketing strategy, utilizing digital media aggressively to promote the brand.  They encourage their employees to think outside the box and “push out the edges of what can be.” Their record speaks for itself, as the company has been named three years running to Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies To Work For, and for the last two years was also named to Business Week’s Top 100 Best Places To Launch A Career lists. Further, The Ethisphere Institute named Nike as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2009.

To look for jobs with Nike, join GreatPlaceJobs.

Yesterday’s post suggested that our current economy may be ripe for bullies in the workplace. As promised, some tips on handling a workplace bully from Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com:

• Seek the advice of a trusted mentor who may have dealt with this situation before.
• If you can, confront the bully in a professional manner, but only if your physical safety isn’t threatened. Don’t sink to his or her level. Stay as calm as possible. Don’t yell or threaten. Often bullies are looking for this type of confrontation and it will encourage them to come back for more. Don’t cry or show weakness either. That’s usually what the bully is after in the first place.
• Don’t try to win over other people to your side. The way in which you handle the situation will allow them to make their own judgements.
• Don’t allow the bully to intimidate you or make you feel bad about yourself. You know your true worth. Don’t forget what that is.
• Do your job and do it well. The workplace bully wants you to fail and when you don’t he or she will be defeated.
• Make sure your superiors are aware of your work. Workplace bullies often try to spread the word that your are not doing your job well and will even go as far as to report the smallest infractions to your boss. Your actions will carry more weight than his or her words.
• Don’t allow the bully to isolate you from your colleagues. Keep up your workplace friendships.

Have you been dealing with a bully at work? How do you handle it? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Is it time to look for a job in an organization that supports and appreciates its workers? Join GreatPlaceJobs to find positions with award-winning organizations! Our members also receive a free copy of G.L. Hoffman’s ebook, Dig Your Job (a $9.99 value)!

As we pause to observe Martin Luther King Day, it is fitting to focus on diversity in the workplace.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers says the following about diversity on their website:

A great deal of confusion exists about what diversity is. Webster’s Dictionary defines diversity as the condition of having distinct or unlike elements. In a workplace, this means the variety among people related to such factors as age, culture, education, employee status, family status, function, gender, national origin, physical appearance, race, regional origin, religion, sexual orientation, and thinking style. Though these differences themselves are undeniable, corporate culture and society at large often deny them by recognizing and valuing only a narrow range of differences. While these differences have often been ignored or devalued in the past, awareness of the role they play in organizational effectiveness has more recently put the spotlight on diversity.

Valuing diversity means acknowledging that other people, other races, other voices, and other cultures have as much integrity and as much claim on the world as you do. It is the recognition that there are other ways of seeing the world, solving problems, and working together.

Managing diversity means promoting inclusion, creating an environment where all differences are valued, and in which each employee can develop to her or his full potential. From a business perspective, managing diversity is valuable because it means an organization gets the most from its employees. Companies that effectively manage diversity recognize that it is not enough to hire employees from underrepresented groups; they must also provide an environment where all employees are supported and valued.

Since GreatPlaceJobs is a site dedicated to honoring and highlighting award-winning employers, it is a good time to point out that many of the employers whose jobs we post have been recognized for their efforts in diversity. For example, follow THIS link to investigate Fortune Magazine’s best companies to work for in 2007 (which seems the most recent date for this type of interface). For more recent (2008) data, follow THIS link, which offers users the opportunity to select “Diversity” as a requirement in their employer or company.

The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee provides a wide array of diversity resource links for job seekers, including a variety of groups, including African-American, Asian, people with disabilities, workers over 50, international job seekers, Latinos, members of the LGBT community, Native Americans and women.

Take advantage of the many resources available online to research employers and their work forces. Don’t forget to consider the benefits of a diverse workplace and the advantages of working for an organization that makes diversity a high priority. Join GreatPlaceJobs to search for employers that are more likely to share that value!

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Advice Expert
www.keppiecareers.com