For nearly 20 years, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce has recognized local businesses with its annual Spirit of Innovation Award. This year, six companies were finalists, and two won the Spirit of Innovation award in a first-place tie.
The story about this year’s Spirit of Innovation Award winners is featured in the Trend section of the magazine, but the other nominees are also doing some creative and cutting-edge work. Meet the four finalists who are breaking new ground in industries from sports to workplace engagement.
WorkHound tracks employee satisfaction trends
Max Farrell was always fascinated by why people claim to hate their jobs. After graduating from college in Iowa with a degree in sociology, Farrell and his business partner, Andrew Kirpalani, decided to explore that question and see if they could solve it.
They found that front-line workers who left their industries at a high turnover rate quit because they didn’t feel respected at their companies. They were just a number, not a person. Their feelings were never recognized until an exit interview was conducted after they resigned their position. But, as Farrell explains, an exit interview is an autopsy – the damage has been done, and it’s too late to fix it.