If you want to learn the truth about a company, don't talk to the top; talk to the front-line employees. I had that opportunity while my wife and I ate lunch at one of the top-rated hotels in the USA and the world, the Ritz-Carlton of Sarasota Florida. Almost everyone knows that the Ritz is famous for its service and quality, and many of you have watched videos from Ritz leadership describing how they do it. But what would a regular waiter at the Ritz say about the hotel's "secret sauce"?

This employee made the following observations:

First, the company hires absolutely great people. In his case, he used to work at a nearby hotel that competes with the Ritz. He explained, "Everyone know the employees who do the little extra things in top hotels and restaurants in the area. I was one of them, along with two other employees at the hotel where I worked. People at the hotel told us that the Ritz would want to hire us, because they look for people like us, people who want to do everything a little bit extra."

Second, I asked about how big a factor leadership and management is at the company, and his reply was surprising. "They're good people, but 'empowerment' is really big here. They give us lots of power to notice things, fix things, and solve problems. They give us the tools to make things right. I couldn't work here if I couldn't notice something wrong or out of place and then fix it."

Isn't that interesting? We focus so much on the role of leadership and management, and at the Ritz it appears that front-line employees are the ones expected and encouraged to lead, especially when it comes to direct interactions with the customers. Management is there to support the front line and make sure they have the tools they need to succeed.

Third, this employee notes that he came to the Ritz because many of the benefits were terrific, especially retirement and the fact that the Ritz washes uniforms for them ("That's a big thing, and if you are in the industry, it matters when you don't have to wash your own uniforms," he explained). He as made a bigger base elsewhere, but the benefits are what really keep him here.

Finally, I was expecting him to mention the famous Ritz training as a major reason for his wanting to come here, but I had to ask him about the training to get him to say anything about it. When he did, he was non-plussed: "Yeah, there was a lot of that, especially when we opened up. It was pretty serious and intense." Then he moved on to talk about the benefits and the empowerment again.

So what we have here -- according to the front lines -- is a brilliant system that finds the best, and then sets them up in an environment where they can do what they do best, and keeps them there with a total package that makes them want to stay. I love it!