What Makes a Job "Good" -- and the Case for Investing in People | Warren Valdmanis | TED

Transcriber:

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

In 1995, a fellow named Chris Klebba decided to open a gym

1995 年，

有個叫做克里斯‧克萊巴的傢伙 決定要在他密西根的家鄉

in his hometown of Northville, Michigan.

諾斯維爾開一間健身房。

Fitness had changed his life,

健身改變了他的人生，而他希望把 這體驗帶給這個密西根小鎮的人。

and he wanted others in small-town Michigan

to have the same experience.

But the problem with gyms is they can be intimidating.

但健身房的問題是， 它們還蠻讓人怯步的。

It's the ultimate irony.

這是很大的諷刺。

You go to a gym to get in shape, but if you're out of shape,

上健身房是去改善體態。

但若你的身材走樣了，

you feel like you need to get in shape just to show up.

你會覺得你得要有好身材才能露面。

That's why as many as 50 percent of gym members quit within the first year,

那就是為什麼高達 50% 的

健身房會員會在第一年內放棄，

which is fine if you open a gym in New York or LA

如果健身房開在有數百萬居民的 紐約或洛杉磯，那就無所謂。

with millions of people.

But in a small town, you might simply run out of customers.

但在小鎮裡，可能 就會找不到客人了。

Now many gyms try to solve this problem by making it difficult to quit.

許多健身房解決這個問題的方式 是讓退會籍變得很困難。

So now not only am I feeling guilty about not going to the gym,

這麼一來，我不僅因為 沒上健身房而有罪惡感，

but I’m stuck paying 100 dollars a month, and I’m still not getting any thinner.

每個月還得支付一百美金， 且我還沒有變瘦呢。

But Chris decided to do something different.

但，克里斯打算用不同的做法。

Chris decided to invest in his workers.

克里斯決定投資他的員工。

He hired overly helpful, overly friendly employees

他僱用極度樂於助人、 極度友善的員工，

who at any moment were eager to step in

他們時時刻刻都很渴望能伸出援手，

and help you learn how to use a piece of equipment

協助你學習如何使用某個器材，

without making you feel like you're being judged.

且不會讓你有受到評斷的感受。

The idea was for the 55-year-old mom or dad,

他的想法是要讓 五十五歲的母親或父親，

who’d never been to a gym before in their lives,

即使這輩子從來沒有進過健身房，

to feel welcome and comfortable immediately.

也能馬上感到被歡迎且很舒服自在。

Now my question as a private equity investor is:

我這個私募股權投資人想要問的是：

Could this really be profitable?

這樣做真的有賺頭嗎？

There's an old joke about a man who's had too much to drink

有個老笑話是說一名男子喝太多了，

looking for his keys under a streetlight.

他在路燈下找他的鑰匙。

A cop comes by and offers to help

一名路過的警察想要幫忙，

and asks where he thinks he lost them.

問他認為鑰匙會掉在哪裡。

"In the park," comes the response,

他回答：「在公園。」

"but I'm looking here because the light's better."

「但我在這裡找， 因為這裡的光線比較好。」

That's a little how we investors look at companies today.

這就有點像我們投資人 看待現今企業的方式。

We know that value at companies is driven by people,

我們知道公司的價值是來自於人，

but we focus on short-term profit because it's so much easier to measure.

但我們把焦點放在短期的利益上， 因為這種利益比較容易衡量。

I’ve worked in and around private equity for 25 years

我在私募股權這個領域二十五年了，

on six continents,

待過六個大陸，

and I've seen this error in thinking again and again and again.

我一而再再而三地看到 這種錯誤思考方式。

In private equity,

在私募股權領域，

we buy companies and seek to improve them

我們會購買公司，想辦法改善它們，

so we can sell them at a profit.

才能將它們賣出並獲利。

But very often that improvement comes in the form of cutting costs,

但通常，改善的形式都是壓低成本，

especially labor costs.

特別是勞動力成本。

Private equity employs roughly nine million people

在過去十年間，私募股權僱用了

and has cut over a million jobs in the past decade.

約九百萬人，並砍掉了 一百萬個工作。

Too often we ask a company for their org chart

我們向公司取得組織圖的 目的，通常是為了決定

just to figure out who is getting fired.

要開除誰。

Now I think investors should take pride for helping to make companies lean,

我認為，投資人是應該要 以協助公司變精實為榮，

but I'm worried that we may have done our job too well

但，我擔心，我們把 我們的工作做得太好了，

and are now at risk of starving companies of the people

現在反而造成另一種風險，讓公司

that they need to be successful.

沒有他們成功所需要的人才。

So the big opportunity for investors, for executives and for you

所以，

對於投資人、主管， 和各位的重大機會，

is to create rather than cut good jobs.

是去創造而不是砍掉好的工作。

Creating good jobs is now the focus of my work as a social impact investor.

我現在身為社會影響力 投資人的工作焦點，

是在創造好的工作，

But to create good jobs, you first need a definition of a good job,

但，要創造出好工作， 首先需要定義什麼是好工作。

which was surprisingly hard to find.

而這個定義竟然意外地難找。

Spreadsheets and numbers are comforting, but people are complicated,

試算表和數字的確 讓人欣慰，但人是複雜的，

which is why impact investing can sometimes feel squishy.

這就是為什麼影響力投資 有時會讓人覺得有點模糊。

Good for the soul, perhaps, but risky for the pocketbook.

也許有益靈魂，但對 錢包而言有點冒險。

But my partners and I work at a company

但，我和我的合作夥伴們 在處理的一間公司，

that prides itself on using data to solve problems.

以使用資料來解決問題而自豪。

So we spent the last two years looking at all the academic research,

所以，我們過去兩年都在

看各種學術研究， 閱讀各種個案研究。

reading all the case studies.

We interviewed human capital experts

我們訪談了人力資本專家，

and surveyed workers across hundreds of companies.

調查了數百間公司的員工。

And from that work, we developed a common sense definition of a good job,

這些努力讓我們開發出了 「好工作」的常識定義，

one that correlates with worker productivity

這個定義和員工生產力有關，

and helps us to build better companies.

且能協助我們建立更好的公司。

So here it is.

所以，定義如下。

A good job is where a worker, one, is fairly treated.

好工作就是，員工會： （一）被公平對待；

Two, has a promising future.

（二）前途大有可為；

Three, feels psychologically safe.

（三）在心理上能有安全感；

And four, has a sense of purpose.

（四）有明確的目標。

Now by this definition, only about a third of jobs today

根據這個定義，現今 只有約三分之一的工作

qualify as good jobs.

算是好工作。

But that's where data-driven impact investing can help.

但，此時資料導向的 影響力投資就派得上用場了。

By putting hard numbers to each of these conditions,

將這每項條件都用 實在的數字來表示，

we can score each job at the companies we invest in

我們投資的公司裡的 每個工作就都能被評分，

and then work to improve the number of good jobs at these companies.

接著我們可以想辦法做改善， 讓那些公司有更多好工作。

So let's go through each of these four conditions in turn,

咱們再依次回顧一下這四項條件，

and as we do, think about the place where you work.

過程中，聯想一下你工作的地方。

How does it measure up?

它是否符合標準？

If the answer is "not good," don't worry,

如果答案是「不太符合」，別擔心，

you can help point your company in the right direction.

你可以協助你的公司找到對的方向。

So here we go.

來吧。

（一）員工會被公平對待。

Number one, a worker is fairly treated.

Now we spend roughly a third of our adult lives working.

我們的成年人生有大約 三分之一在工作。

So whether you work at Marshall's or Microsoft,

所以不論你是為 馬歇爾百貨或微軟工作，

you want your employer to pay you fairly for all that time.

你會希望雇主在你工作期間 給你公平的薪資待遇。

But many investors see worker pay as a zero-sum game.

但許多投資人會把勞工薪資 視為是零和遊戲。

Whatever a company gives to workers must somehow come at our expense,

不論公司給予員工什麼， 我們都會以某種方式付出代價。

which is why when Home Depot announced early in COVID

這就是為什麼在新冠肺炎 疫情初期當家得寶宣佈

that they would be offering danger pay and making investments in worker safety,

他們會提供危險加給， 並投資員工的安全，

they saw their market value crash by billions of dollars.

他們就發現他們的市值 重跌了數十億美金。

But our research found over 100 studies that show that appropriate incentives,

但我們整理了超過一百篇研究，發現

適當的獎勵更能帶來利益，比如

attractive benefits

like retirement accounts and health care and things like flexible schedules

退休金帳戶、健康照護， 及彈性時間表等等，

more than pay for themselves

勝過發薪水本身，

through improved productivity, higher retention, lower hiring costs.

因為能改善生產力、

提高員工留用、降低僱用成本。

Home Depot itself is a company that's built on the idea

家得寶這間公司的成立理念

of providing better service to customers by employing experts on its shop floors.

就是在工作場所用專業的員工， 提供更好的服務給客戶。

People who have seen your problem before

這些員工以前待過家庭維修 和營造業，所以見過你的問題，

because they've worked in home repair and construction,

and they can help you to fix it better.

他們能幫你把問題處理得更好。

Now Home Depot is thriving today thanks to its investment in workers.

家得寶現在很經營得很好， 因為它能投資在員工身上。

Now fair pay is a critical, critical thing,

公平的薪資是很重要的，

but it's not the only thing that matters.

但重要的不只有它。

Which brings us to our second condition: a promising future.

這就帶到我們的第二個 條件：前途大有可為。

Fast food restaurants not only pay low wages,

速食餐廳不僅只給低薪，

they also offer very little in terms of learning and growth,

在學習和成長方面， 它們提供的也非常少。

which is why their employees quit after six to 12 months on average.

這就是為什麼其員工平均工作 六到十二個月後就會離職。

Think about that the next time you get rude service at the drive-thru window.

下次你在得來速的服務窗口遇到 無禮的服務時，想想這一點。

But training and career path can help to solve this riddle.

但訓練和職業道路 可以協助解決這個難題。

Restaurants like Tender Greens in California

如加州的 Tender Greens 及波士頓的 Boloko 等餐廳，

and Boloko in Boston

offer training to their low-wage workers

會提供訓練給低薪的員工， 讓他們能符合管理角色的資格。

that qualifies them for management roles.

So you might start out as a dishwasher earning 12 bucks an hour

你一開始可能是洗碗工， 每小時賺十二美金，

and then with the right training,

若有對的訓練，

you can become a restaurant manager in a matter of months,

你就可以在幾個月內成為 餐廳經理人，薪資變近三倍。

making nearly three times that much.

Now the prospect of tripling your wage is a powerful motivator.

有希望可以讓薪資翻三倍 是很強大的動機。

And the data shows that workers are much more loyal and dedicated

且資料顯示，

當員工感覺他們的公司 在協助他們建立職涯時，

when they feel that their company is helping them to build a career.

他們就會更忠誠和投入許多。

Our third condition, psychological safety,

第三項條件是心理上的安全感，

should be a fairly obvious one.

這一項應該十分明顯。

Think of the best boss you've ever had,

想想看你遇過最棒的老闆，

the one that motivated you to go above and beyond at work.

在工作上能讓你想要再超越的老闆。

I bet that person was a listener.

我敢說那位老闆一定是能傾聽的人。

Because the modern workplace is increasingly a place

因為現代的工作場所越來越偏向

of communication and collaboration.

溝通和合作的地方。

But many workers find it difficult or risky to speak up.

但許多員工會覺得把話說出來 太困難或太冒險了。

Professor Amy Edmondson of Harvard has studied this issue

哈佛的艾咪‧艾德蒙森 教授研究過在政府、

in government, nonprofits and companies

非營利機構，及公司中的這個議題，

and found that most people's first instinct is to self-protect.

她發現多數人的第一直覺 就是自我保護。

Let's face it, life's too short to correct your boss's mistake

老實說，人生太短，不用 去糾正你老闆的錯誤，

畢竟，結果有可能是你被開除。

if you think you might get fired as a result.

Not speaking up is invisible,

「不把話說出來」是隱形的，

but it can cost the company valuable ideas.

但公司可能要付出的代價 就是失去珍貴的點子。

It can squander employee talent or worse,

可能會浪費了員工的才華， 或者，更糟糕的是，讓客人

it can put customers or employees at physical risk.

或者員工承受實體風險。

Google found from its quest to create the perfect team

Google 在追求創造出 完美團隊時發現，

that the most important ingredient was not the people involved

最重要的要素並不是相關的人，

but rather the team's overall willingness to share and listen.

反而是團隊的整體意願， 是否願意分享和聆聽。

It also found that great teams don't hide from their mistakes,

Google 也發現，出色的團隊 不會躲避他們的錯誤，

but rather embrace them as opportunities for learning

反而會擁抱錯誤， 將之視為學習機會，

and to add to the overall IQ of their companies.

也可以提高其公司的整體 IQ。

Which brings us to purpose.

這機就要談到「目標」了。

It's a lot easier to share and listen to others

如果你和你的同事 對你們的工作很有熱情，

if you and your colleagues feel passionately about your work.

分享以及聆聽就會容易許多。

But do you feel passionately about the idea of going to work each day

但這個想法會讓你很有熱情嗎： 每天去工作的唯一目標

for the sole purpose of maximizing shareholder value

就是為了你素未謀面的投資人 想辦法把股東價值提高嗎？

for investors you've never met?

It's just not a very energizing idea.

這個想法實在不太讓人振奮。

Humans, unlike machines, want to feel connected to a higher purpose.

和機器不同，人類會想要感覺

和更崇高的目標有所連結。

They want to feel proud and useful.

人類想要感覺很驕傲、有用。

And fortunately, most companies out there do exist for a reason.

幸運的是，外頭大部分的公司 有其存在的理由。

But it can be hard to tell when so many of their mission statements

但可能很難辨識，因為它們有很多

宗旨說明讀起來都像是 機器產生的文字。

read like they were generated by a robot.

I actually used an online mission statement generator for this talk

我真的針對這場演說去使用了 線上的宗旨說明產生器，

to see what would come back.

看看會得到什麼。

"The mission of my TED talk is to offer smart insights with empathy,

「我這場 TED 演說的宗旨 是要提供有智慧的洞見，

同時不忘同理心、關懷， 及深思熟慮。」

care and thoughtfulness."

Not bad for a computer.

對電腦而言，算寫得不錯。

But a good mission statement is more than just nice words on a PowerPoint.

但，好的宗旨說明並不只是 PowerPoint 上的漂亮文字。

A good mission statement can be the most distilled form of strategy,

好的宗旨說明，可以成為 策略的最精鍊形式，

the guiding light for a company and its employees.

公司及其員工的指路明燈。

That fitness chain I mentioned earlier,

我先前提到的健身連鎖 Impact Fitness

Impact Fitness,

has a very clear mission to offer health through fitness

有非常清楚的宗旨：

在服務不足的社區中 透過健身帶來健康。

in underserved communities,

and they're deadly serious about it.

而他們非常認真看待這個宗旨。

The founder, Chris, likes to repeat that mission at company meetings.

創辦人克里斯總會 在會議中重申這個宗旨。

Most gym owners would be thrilled if their customers never showed up,

大部分的健身房業主會很樂見 他們的客人不去運動，

so long as they keep paying the monthly bill.

只要有持續繳月費即可。

But Chris wants people to show up at workout in his gyms and get healthier.

但克里斯希望大家去他的 健身房運動並變得更健康。

That's why he not only tracked gym usage,

那就是為什麼他不僅會追蹤 健身房的使用狀況，

but tied it to executive pay.

還把它和主管的薪資綁在一起。

The company has gone from strength to strength,

這間公司不斷進步， 從只有一家健身房

growing from that single gym in Northville, Michigan,

開在密西根的諾斯維爾，到現在

to now over three dozen gyms across small-town Michigan,

有約四十家開在密西根的小鎮、 印第安納，現在還開到加拿大。

Indiana and now Canada.

And it's done so in a way

而這間公司的做法

that their employees have every reason to be proud of.

會讓其員工有充份的理由感到自豪。

It's an old corporate chestnut

企業總會說這種陳詞濫調：

that our employees are our most valuable asset.

我們的員工是我們最珍貴的資產。

Today those words ring as hollow as the automated voice,

現今，這句話的空洞程度不輸給

你在電話上等了十分鐘，電腦語音 卻還在說你的來電相當重要。

telling us how important our call is when we've been on hold for 10 minutes.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But fortunately, creating good jobs isn't rocket science.

但，幸運的是，

創造好工作並非很困難的事。

These four conditions: fair treatment,

這四項條件：

公平對待、大有可為的前途、

a promising future, psychological safety and purpose

心理上的安全感，和目標，

are relatively easy to track and improve.

都相對很容易追蹤和改善。

And to do that, though, requires investors and executives

不過，要做到這一點，會需要

投資人與主管同心協力。

to work together.

Because too often well-meaning CEOs

因為，通常，出於好意的執行長

are cut short by short-term oriented investors

都會遇到的阻礙包括短期導向的 投資人及代表他們的董事會。

and the boards that represent them.

But I believe with a better measure of good jobs and the associated benefits,

但我相信，

若能用更好的方式來衡量好工作 且能提出相關的益處，

investors will support more investments in workers.

投資人也會支持 多投資一些在員工身上。

Because who wouldn’t want to create good jobs

因為，如果創造好工作的同時

if you're creating more valuable companies at the same time?

也能夠創造出更有價值的 公司，誰不想要呢？

And our research shows that companies with a higher proportion of good jobs

我們的研究指出，

好工作比例比較高的公司

grow faster and are more profitable.

成長得比較快，也比較能獲利。

They attract better talent and are more innovative.

它們能吸引更好的人才， 也比較能創新。

Investors ignore this issue at their peril

投資人如果忽視這個議題， 只是讓自己承受風險，

because in today's economy,

因為，在現今的經濟中，

good jobs aren't just good for society,

好工作不僅對社會有益，

they're good business.

它們也是賺錢的生意。

Thank you.

謝謝。