Human capital is crucial to the success of any organization, whether that's a credit union or one of the most popular shows in Las Vegas.
That was the lesson from members of the Cirque du Soleil management team, who shared insights into the importance of human capital with attendees at the recent California and Nevada CU Leagues' Annual Meeting and Convention in Vegas.
James "Jay" Guilford, Cirque du Soleil's creator and content strategist, discussed the importance of human capital investment. "We provide a masseuse to our employees, and some get a massage twice a day. Do you want a massage at your job? Okay, you just have to be a performer who hangs upside down from your foot with 1,800 people watching you. If you do two shows a night, five nights a week, you can have a massage at work."
Human capital investments are not the same as perks, Guilford explained. He noted many start-up technology firms are famous for espresso machines at every desk and riding bicycles in the hallway. "Those are perks. Human capital investments need to be organic — we offer massages because our people's bodies need help. We provide catered meals because when we go out on the road, our cast and crew do not have time to go find healthy food. We provide a yoga instructor every day so people can take out their stress. Human capital investments give you ROI."
Guilford detailed three "Cs" that are necessary for raising perks to the level of human capital investments: conscious, considerate and compatible. He said companies must be conscious of their employees' needs, they should be considerate of everybody and benefits must be compatible with the organization's brand.
"In many companies the all-stars are identified, such as the sales team, and they get all the prizes," he said. "We could say our artists, because they are our forward-facing employees, should get extra benefits, but we give it to everyone on our team because they all work hard."
'Unique' Investments
The Cirque organization makes several "unique" investments in human capital. The company asks employees what they are interested in, and uses this human-centric model to design programs. "One example is social grants, which went from simply writing a check to a charitable organization to hosting drives to collect clothing or food, all because that was what employees wanted."
The organization is not perfect. Guilford said it is important to learn lessons from mistakes. Emmanuel "Manu" Durand, coach of Cirque's "O" show, said the biggest error he has made is going too fast in trying to incorporate a replacement performer into a complicated show. Brooke Wahlquist, event manager for community engagement, pointed to communication, noting many performers do not check their Cirque e-mail addresses.
The organization created committees, which has prompted each person to become an agent of change. Alma Derricks, VP of sales and marketing, recalled years ago when artists were expected to do more and more public appearances, which can disrupt training. One occasion several artists were told to go do an impromptu appearance in the lobby of a hotel, which worked very poorly. This led to dialogue and, eventually, an organized promotional effort.
