Live Mas: At Taco Bell, It's Not Just A Tagline
By Jeff Hyman
Originally published by Forbes
Nurturing your company’s DNA—and then recruiting people who match it—is essential to building a high-performance organization.
I spoke with Liz Williams, president of Taco Bell International, about this topic and how the company champions both diversity and cultural unity to create a highly collaborative organization.
Taco Bell combines a demand for commitment and performance, with a humane culture that recognizes the “whole person” and the importance of balancing work/family responsibilities. When people leave the company, Williams said, they tend to stay in touch with former colleagues and a good number eventually return (Boomerang hires are the best kind!)
At the core of Taco Bell’s DNA is a slogan introduced in 2012, Live Mas (“Live More”), which animates its brand and encapsulates the company’s philosophy of enriching the lives of its customers and employees in everything it does. It’s more than the taco topping…it’s their way of life.
For example, the company sponsors the Live Mas Scholarship for Taco Bell employees and a separate scholarship that is open to everyone. Employees participate in the selection of scholarship winners – a role that provides them with an opportunity to give back to other workers and the broader community.
