While some busy themselves with throughput metrics and order turnaround times, The Container Store is… celebrating birthday parties.

The wildly successful retailer (average 20% growth every year since founding) takes a different approach at employee management. "We celebrate everything," says Amy Carovillano, vice president of logistics and distribution for the retailer. "Our industry is not known as being great employers. So we must be brave enough not to conform."

Although never ignoring the bottom line, Carovillano explained at the WERC conference that investing in people is a primary objective for her company. "We develop a work force that values employees—they will take care of your productivity."