The Container Store is a $300 million retailer of organizing products for home and office. As a member of the coveted 100 Best Companies to Work For list, The Container Store places a lot of emphasis on keeping its employees happy and motivated, which in turn results in satisfied customers.

Turnover at The Container Store is 8 percent among full time employees, and 20 percent among part-timers in an industry with an annual turnover rate of 120 percent. CEO Tindell attributes this to several factors:

1. Only hire the best employees, which he defines as those willing and able to use their creativity, enthusiasm and intuition to devote themselves to customer service.
2. All employees assist in the recruitment process.
3. Employees are paid 50 to 100 percent more than the retail average.
4. Every first year employee receives 235 hours of formal training, compared to an industry average of 7.
5. Open communication includes daily distribution of sales results to every employee in the belief that communicating information empowers employees and strengthens their development and loyalty.
6. Special events make working there fun.

Tindell believes that the retail industry’s perceptions about itself hold most companies back. He feels it is The Container Store’s willingness to buck the trend that makes them successful.