TED Talk Tuesday #298 – Good jobs are good business

TED continues to spread ideas and help us all be better critical thinkers. Watching, listening and talking about TED Talks is a popular pastime for many in the CN&CO community. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh, learn or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations and business opportunities. Each month we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. It’s also a way that the CN&CO team play their part in spreading ideas and helping to make the world a better place.

At CN&CO, we’ve always believed that people are the driving force behind any business. It’s not a slogan or a sentiment.  We see it lived out every day in the work we do with our clients, our partners and our team. That’s why this TED Talk by Warren Valdmanis, a private equity and social impact investor, struck such a deep chord.

The talk centres on the power of creating good jobs – and not just for the sake of kindness or altruism (although those matter too), but because it makes business sense.

The story starts in 1995, when Chris Klebba opened a gym in his hometown of Northville, Michigan. Like many gym founders, he wanted to help people get healthy. But unlike many, he understood a crucial human truth: most people feel intimidated walking into a gym, especially if they’re just starting out. Instead of trying to lock customers into contracts or push hard sales, Chris invested in his people – hiring friendly, helpful staff who made newcomers feel comfortable from the moment they walked in.

This human-centred approach didn’t just create a great vibe – it created loyalty, retention and profitability. The gym has since grown into a chain of over 30 locations across small-town America and Canada, all with a simple, compelling mission: to offer health through fitness in underserved communities.

What does this have to do with investing and business strategy? Everything.

Valdmanis reminds us that although investors often talk about value being driven by people, many still focus on short-term profits because they’re easier to measure. That leads to cost-cutting, especially in labour – and over time, it starves businesses of exactly the people they need to succeed.

But there’s a better way. Based on years of research, Valdmanis and his team developed a data-backed, common-sense definition of a good job:

• The worker is fairly treated
• The worker has a promising future
• The worker feels psychologically safe
• The worker has a sense of purpose

He explains each with powerful examples – from Home Depot’s investment in frontline workers during COVID, to fast-food outlets that train dishwashers into managers, to Google’s discovery that psychological safety (not IQ or experience) is the top predictor of great teams.

This isn’t just theory. Companies that prioritise good jobs are more innovative, more resilient, more profitable, and better places to work. It’s a win-win – for people and for business.

At CN&CO, we’ve always believed that people make the difference. Whether it’s building a brand, running an event, growing a business or writing a blog, it’s the energy, insight, and care of the humans involved that truly drive results.

This TED Talk is a welcome reminder that creating good jobs isn’t rocket science. But it does require a shift – in mindset, in metrics, in priorities. And it’s a shift that’s well worth making.