When the movie The Devil Wears Prada premiered in 2006, viewers quickly discovered how mean Miranda Preistley (played by Meryl Streep) could be towards Andy Sachs (played by Anne Hathaway)

At the time, some of us imagined what life could be like living in New York after graduating from college, and of course, we dreamed about all the beautiful designer clothes that Andy Sachs wore with Madonna’s Vogue in the background.

Now, watching the same movie nearly twenty years later, perspectives have changed! We now get a sense of how Runway Magazine operates and what a toxic workplace environment it is for employees. Although there may still be excitement for Stanley Tucci’s character in the movie or confusion around the trending fashions from the 2000s, there are four powerful lessons on the employee experience - and how not to become a Miranda Priestley:

Lesson #1: A positive employee onboarding experience is key to productivity and retention.

Andy Sachs starts her new role as Miranda Priestley’s second assistant after an uncomfortable interview. She is immediately bombarded with tasks - talk about getting thrown into the fire - and struggles to learn key terms within the fashion industry. 

According to a recent Society of Human Resources Management article, 69 percent of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding. Hiring managers must ensure that they are curating positive onboarding experience for employees within their organizations. New employees want to get to know their colleagues, understand the lay of the land, settle into new technology systems and soak up as much information during their first few weeks. To improve the employee onboarding process, include a glossary of key terms, especially if someone is transitioning to a new industry, and share a visual directory of their team or department. A great onboarding process results in new employees having an improved sense of belonging and excitement about their new role, leading to maximized productivity.

Lesson #2: Clear manager communication with employees is a must.

Throughout the movie, Miranda assigns Andy with tasks with an expectation that she isn’t allowed to ask questions. For example, in the early days of Andy’s new role, she is expected to pick up scarves from Calvin Klein, walk Miranda’s dog Patricia, and even work on homework assignments for Miranda’s twin daughters. After every interaction, Andy leaves the conversation feeling overwhelmed and confused on what to do.

Did you know that one of the top reasons for lack of engagement in the workplace is management? The reason behind this is communication. If managers can’t communicate effectively with their employees, it results in a lack of productivity and retention challenges. Managers must be able to outline clear expectations on what an end deliverable should look like. There should also be a psychologically safe environment where employees feel comfortable asking their managers questions. Furthermore, weekly or biweekly 1:1 meetings are great opportunities for managers and employees to communicate about any blockers or challenges, discuss professional development, and learn more about each other personally.

Lesson #3: Employees need work-life balance and cannot be defined by their role.

Viewers will forever be haunted by the constant ringing of Andy’s phone throughout the movie - first when Andy is woken up at 6:15am to fetch Miranda’s piping hot Starbucks order along with her many other tasks. It’s to the point where Andy’s personal life is being compromised because of the high pressure and demands of her job responsibilities. 

Psychological and physical problems of burned-out employees cost an estimated $125B-$190B a year in healthcare spending in the US. Since the pandemic, remote work has blurred the boundary between work and home life for workers. Nonetheless, no employee should be defined by their role or have their role consume their personal lives. Now more than ever, employees factor in work-life balance when they are looking for a new job. Organizations must ensure that employees have the time and space to focus on their physical and mental health.

Lesson #4: Employees thrive in psychologically safe work environments.

As an adult, looking back on this movie was alarming: the body shaming that took place within the company;  the continuous workplace harassment Andy experiences from Christian Thompson. The list goes on. Where was Runway’s HR department?! Not present throughout the entire movie.

According to a recent AllVoices survey, 44% of American employees have experienced harassment at work and 34% of employees have left a job because of unresolved harassment. Employees want to be able to be their authentic selves into the workplace, and no person should judge them based on their appearance, age, ethnicity, ability, gender, etc.! Leaders and managers must ensure their organization is a place that fosters psychologically safety from the top down. Additionally, if there are situations where an employee feels uncomfortable, they should know that Human Resources is a department that can support them - not leave them abandoned.

Organizations must think about the entire employee experience now more than ever.

In Willis Towers Watsons’ 2021 Employee Experience Survey, 92% of employers worldwide said that rethinking the employee experience will be a priority over the next three years. We’ve witnessed the Great Resignation where 4.3 million employees quit their jobs according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The focus now for leaders and managers is to understand what changes need to occur so employees can remain happy, fulfilled, and productive in their positions. The employee experience isn’t about what makes employees feel warm and fuzzy - it’s no longer about the free coffee in the kitchen, company swag, or ping pong tables in the office. Organizations must foster environments that enable employees to want to come to work and do their best work. Employers who put their employees first will thrive.

As Miranda would say, “That’s All.”

When the movie The Devil Wears Prada premiered in 2006, viewers quickly discovered how mean Miranda Preistley (played by Meryl Streep) could be towards Andy Sachs (played by Anne Hathaway)

At the time, some of us imagined what life could be like living in New York after graduating from college, and of course, we dreamed about all the beautiful designer clothes that Andy Sachs wore with Madonna’s Vogue in the background.

Now, watching the same movie nearly twenty years later, perspectives have changed! We now get a sense of how Runway Magazine operates and what a toxic workplace environment it is for employees. Although there may still be excitement for Stanley Tucci’s character in the movie or confusion around the trending fashions from the 2000s, there are four powerful lessons on the employee experience - and how not to become a Miranda Priestley:

Lesson #1: A positive employee onboarding experience is key to productivity and retention.
Andy Sachs starts her new role as Miranda Priestley’s second assistant after an uncomfortable interview. She is immediately bombarded with tasks - talk about getting thrown into the fire - and struggles to learn key terms within the fashion industry. 

According to a recent Society of Human Resources Management article, 69 percent of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding. Hiring managers must ensure that they are curating positive onboarding experience for employees within their organizations. New employees want to get to know their colleagues, understand the lay of the land, settle into new technology systems and soak up as much information during their first few weeks. To improve the employee onboarding process, include a glossary of key terms, especially if someone is transitioning to a new industry, and share a visual directory of their team or department. A great onboarding process results in new employees having an improved sense of belonging and excitement about their new role, leading to maximized productivity.

Lesson #2: Clear manager communication with employees is a must.
Throughout the movie, Miranda assigns Andy with tasks with an expectation that she isn’t allowed to ask questions. For example, in the early days of Andy’s new role, she is expected to pick up scarves from Calvin Klein, walk Miranda’s dog Patricia, and even work on homework assignments for Miranda’s twin daughters. After every interaction, Andy leaves the conversation feeling overwhelmed and confused on what to do.

Did you know that one of the top reasons for lack of engagement in the workplace is management? The reason behind this is communication. If managers can’t communicate effectively with their employees, it results in a lack of productivity and retention challenges. Managers must be able to outline clear expectations on what an end deliverable should look like. There should also be a psychologically safe environment where employees feel comfortable asking their managers questions. Furthermore, weekly or biweekly 1:1 meetings are great opportunities for managers and employees to communicate about any blockers or challenges, discuss professional development, and learn more about each other personally.

Lesson #3: Employees need work-life balance and cannot be defined by their role.
Viewers will forever be haunted by the constant ringing of Andy’s phone throughout the movie - first when Andy is woken up at 6:15am to fetch Miranda’s piping hot Starbucks order along with her many other tasks. It’s to the point where Andy’s personal life is being compromised because of the high pressure and demands of her job responsibilities. 

Psychological and physical problems of burned-out employees cost an estimated $125B-$190B a year in healthcare spending in the US. Since the pandemic, remote work has blurred the boundary between work and home life for workers. Nonetheless, no employee should be defined by their role or have their role consume their personal lives. Now more than ever, employees factor in work-life balance when they are looking for a new job. Organizations must ensure that employees have the time and space to focus on their physical and mental health.

Lesson #4: Employees thrive in psychologically safe work environments.
As an adult, looking back on this movie was alarming: the body shaming that took place within the company;  the continuous workplace harassment Andy experiences from Christian Thompson. The list goes on. Where was Runway’s HR department?! Not present throughout the entire movie.

According to a recent AllVoices survey, 44% of American employees have experienced harassment at work and 34% of employees have left a job because of unresolved harassment. Employees want to be able to be their authentic selves into the workplace, and no person should judge them based on their appearance, age, ethnicity, ability, gender, etc.! Leaders and managers must ensure their organization is a place that fosters psychologically safety from the top down. Additionally, if there are situations where an employee feels uncomfortable, they should know that Human Resources is a department that can support them - not leave them abandoned.

Organizations must think about the entire employee experience now more than ever.
In Willis Towers Watsons’ 2021 Employee Experience Survey, 92% of employers worldwide said that rethinking the employee experience will be a priority over the next three years. We’ve witnessed the Great Resignation where 4.3 million employees quit their jobs according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The focus now for leaders and managers is to understand what changes need to occur so employees can remain happy, fulfilled, and productive in their positions. The employee experience isn’t about what makes employees feel warm and fuzzy - it’s no longer about the free coffee in the kitchen, company swag, or ping pong tables in the office. Organizations must foster environments that enable employees to want to come to work and do their best work. Employers who put their employees first will thrive.

As Miranda would say, “That’s All.”

Improve the Employee Experience

Pop culture can teach us lessons about the real world; in this blog, we unpack lessons about the employee experience from The Devil Wears Prada

4 Employee Experience Lessons from The Devil Wears Prada

Thu Mar 17 2022

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