“Loyalty means leaving when you are no longer motivated,” writes Lee Caraher in her new book The Boomerang Principle. At the heart of Caraher’s quote is the new meaning of employee loyalty. It reflects a significant mindset shift for those of us who believed that loyalty was a one-way commitment. That one-way commitment centered on an employees’ gratitude toward their employer. This now outdated mindset went something like this: “You, employer, hired and trusted in me to do a good job; In return, I’ll work hard for you.” As such, the term “company man” took root and became a badge of honor.
Now in the 21st century, millennial bias has undermined our ability to understand the new nature of commitment for all employees. Without learning from all generations in the workplace, we rely on mental shortcuts that lead to unfair comparisons and shortsighted conclusions. The result is that managers and employees create barriers to understanding one another. Ultimately the business and its customers suffer. And the nature of the contract between employer and employee continues to deliver unrealistic expectations that are frustrating.
What Is Employee Loyalty Today?
Caraher’s quote reveals the nature of loyalty today. This new view isn’t held solely by millennials, however; it’s a human perspective, fitting to all ages. This new loyalty has three elements to it.
First, we need to see employment as a two-way street. Certainly, there must be a commitment to the company’s growth. Each employee contributes to that growth based on his or her role and skills. Additionally, the organization makes a commitment to develop each employee while they are with the company. Leaders can demonstrate this commitment in simple ways:
Learning what sort of problems employees want to solve and helping them make a difference
Syncing business needs with individual development plans based on employees’ goals, values, and strengths
Sending employees to workshops, industry events
Pairing employees with mentors
Being available to coach employees
Next, the new employee loyalty isn’t determined by tenure. Instead, it’s based on the quality of that two-way relationship. What’s more, it’s not bound by employment. Caraher insightfully writes that when someone is “no longer engaged, productive, or happy” at work, “the most loyal act an employee can do is leave . . .”
From this perspective, employees take to heart the quality of their contribution and their satisfaction in delivering results. There’s both deep respect and a sense of ownership for results. When these wane, a loyal employee believes her work is done and it is time to move on. This is no different than a senior manager concluding that it’s time to leave because she has done what she was hired to do.
The new loyalty is not bound by employment. When employees have a positive experience working for you, they become advocates of your company even after they leave. They refer friends to apply for open positions. They speak positively about you online using social media and sites like Glassdoor. This is the greatest compliment you can get.
Finally, the ultimate reciprocal act of loyalty from an employer is the re-hiring employees who have left. Returning to Caraher’s book, she calls this strategic practice The Boomerang Principle. The principle is simple: Employees who leave and want to come back often develop new skills from different experiences. They also return with fresh perspectives that can be mutually beneficial.
Loyalty has evolved. It is earned by leaders and organizations who create an environment conducive to learning and progress. It is earned by employees who actively apply and grow their talents. Both are stewards of the resources entrusted to them. Ultimately, this new loyalty is earned when there are mutual admiration and respect.
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Employee-Loyalty-Is-Not-Dead-scaled.jpg8911920Shawn Murphyhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngShawn Murphy2017-07-25 06:30:552020-05-31 18:56:24Employee Loyalty Is Not Dead
You know what I mean. That sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, when you suddenly realize someone you desperately want to pursue is simply just … not that into you.
Talk all you want about The5 Love Languages or 50 Shades of Grey. No amount of self-help advice or passionate persuasion is likely to alter the destiny of that relationship.
Both of these executives see tremendous potential in strengthening employee loyalty and engagement by focusing on lifestyle fundamentals — health and well-being. Last year, Chris explained in a Bloomberg broadcast interview why it’s wise to invest in workforce wellness, especially in the face of rising healthcare costs and reduced benefits. Watch now:
Recently, Chris contributed a TalentCulture post expanding on this concept. In “Workplace Wellness: The Story Starts With Healthy Culture,” he makes the business case for embracing next-generation wellness programs — not just to promote employee health, but to build a more resilient business, overall.
What do you think about the importance of wellness programs and other employee engagement strategies in demonstrating employer “love”? This topic affects all of us in the world of work, so we hope you’ll join the #TChat crowd this week and add your perspective to the conversation.
#TChat Events: Love Your Employees, They’ll Love You Back
Immediately following the radio show, Meghan, Kevin and our guests will move to the #TChat Twitter stream, where we’ll continue the discussion with the entire TalentCulture community, in a dynamic live chat.
Everyone with a Twitter account is invited to participate, as we address these 5 related questions:
Q1: Why does workforce recognition and engagement matter more than ever? Q2: What are the best ways employers can demonstrate this kind of “love”? Q3: Where have you seen engagement in action, for better or worse? Q4: What technologies help nurture workforce engagement? Q5: What kind of engagement metrics are relevant and useful?
Throughout the week, we’ll keep the discussion going on the #TChat Twitter feed, and on our newG+ community. So feel free to drop by anytime and share your questions, ideas and opinions.
We’ll see you on the stream!
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ChrisB.jpg315631Tim McDonaldhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngTim McDonald2014-02-08 19:55:392020-05-27 17:01:04Does Your Workforce Feel The Love? #TChat Preview
Perhaps nothing drives a brand forward more than its community.
An estimated 55% of consumers are willing to recommend companies that deliver great experiences, and 85% are willing to pay a premium for great services. But who are the “people” making those recommendations and purchasing decisions?
They’re members of your community, right?
I’m certain that if I asked every CMO and marketing leader I know to describe their brand community, I would get a different answer from each. “Community” is a subjective concept, with wide varying definitions.
There are also wide variations in how brands are seen, heard and felt by their respective communities. How deeply does a community feel connected to a brand?
For instance, think about Apple and its community. Apple gets attention because its brand recognition is extraordinary. But have you considered the powerful impact that Apple’s community has had on the success of the brand?
To demonstrate my point, think of the last conversation you’ve had with an “Apple fan” about the company, its products or its competitors. What did that conversation sound like?
If your experience is anything like mine, the conversation was probably wonderful, as long as you agreed about how wonderful Apple and its products are. However, if you dared to question the quality of Apple’s products, ideas or ability to innovate, you no doubt soon realized that you had crossed into enemy territory.
Those kind of conversations are a lot like telling your child that Santa isn’t real — only worse. But it speaks highly of the Apple community.
What is the catalyst for Apple’s insanely powerful connection with its community?
By-in-large, Apple doesn’t behave like a “nouveau” social company, so they’re not building their brand army through Facebook and Twitter. But it has brought together a passionate, global community by creating a sense of “belonging” that customers feel deeply when they use Apple products.
The iconic Apple slogan, “Think Different” epitomizes its cult-like following. On any given day at Starbucks around the world, people who want to be seen as broad-minded, creative thinkers are often found hovering over a Macbook — almost as if the presence of an Apple product is synonymous with their identity.
For Apple, this works. Through a customer experience focused on the idea that being different and innovative is “cool,” Apple has built one of the tightest brand communities on and off the web. But of course, Apple is a huge, established company, with a massive budget for community development. It leads me to wonder — how can other brands, smaller brands, newer brands tap into the power of community?
Not Just Community — A Close Community
Think about the neighborhood where you grew up. What was it like? Was it urban or rural? Were there many houses or just a few? Did you know your neighbors, or were they merely passing strangers?
Regardless of their shape, size and geography, most neighborhoods provide some sense of community. However, all neighborhoods aren’t the same. In my hometown, there was a “Community Center” — a place where folks from the neighborhood would congregate, connect and discuss issues affecting the area.
In that kind of environment, as citizens drew closer, the more they worked together to get things done — for example installing a stop sign where kids played in the street, and passing a referendum to build a new school. Over the years, as traditional urban settings gave way to modern models, subdivisions often created a community “on purpose,” with a Neighborhood Watch, a Board of Directors, and sometimes even a pool and recreation center.
This intentional approach to community brings stakeholders closer, by making neighborhood issues and events more visible, and helping community participants see the impact of their involvement.
Building a Brand Community Like a Neighborhood
When you boil it down to its simplest form, a community is the sum total of your brand stakeholders. I say stakeholder (rather than customer) because many people can participate in a brand community, beyond those who purchase a company’s products and services.
First, there are obvious extensions, such as employees and friends. Also, there are less obvious community players, such as those who are interested in learning more about your products and services, but may not have an immediate need to buy.
Let’s use automobiles as an example.
In 1995, when I was 14, my favorite car in the whole world was the new Pontiac Grand Prix. It had just been redesigned as a “wide track” model, and as a 14 year old, I thought it was one bad machine. However, at 14, I wasn’t legally or financially able to buy a car.
Four years later, I had scraped together all the loose change from under the sofa cushions, and I was ready to buy a car. Guess what I bought? The Grand Prix! That’s because I had emotionally tied myself to the brand, the car, and the community. When I was ready to purchase, it wasn’t even a question who would earn my business.
While my story is just one example, this type of brand loyalty exists with everything from the food we eat to the blue jeans we wear, and beyond. When people become a part of something, their purchasing sentiment changes. And guess what? So does the way they evangelize for your product. You think someone that likes your product is a good ambassador. Just think of someone who recently bought your product and likes it! That is another great frontier for brand building.
Which takes us back to building a close-knit community. It requires a setting for cultivation and nurturing. Much like a neighborhood — only different — to suit the needs of the brand and its community.
Community in the Connected World
If you think about the neighborhood example, you’ll likely think that a good community is small, tight knit, and somewhat directionally aligned.
But in the new world — the connected world where we manage communities on our blog, Facebook, Twitter and what seems like a million other places — the idea of community can become overwhelming. That’s because the “massiveness” of the online sphere is hard for many marketers to imagine in meaningful terms.
This can lead marketers to make some key community-building mistakes:
1) They aim too large: Mere numbers (pageviews, visits, likes, followers) aren’t relationships; 2) They don’t engage: Communicating with a “faceless” digital community can seem like a daunting task; 3) They miss out: Online communities are a powerful way to build influential brand advocates, but sometimes inaction takes over when brands don’t know where to start.
While these mistakes are typical, they can be avoided with a few common-sense tactics:
1) Aim for relevance: Rather than shooting for a large community, start by aiming for those that are most likely to buy your product/service now or in the near future. Also, with online networks (especially social networks), research where your target audience invests its time, and go there first!
2) Engage more than you promote: Share your stories, ideas and information, but make sure you allow the community to become part of the conversation. Ask more questions. Build more testimonials and case studies. Invite participation.
3) Start: Even if your “start” is small, don’t miss the opportunity to build a community by putting your head in the sand.
Remember: Building A Community Can Take Time
Apple has an amazing community of insanely loyal brand advocates. It also nearly crashed and burned on multiple occasions, and was saved by innovation that focused on consumption of music on a tiny MP3 player. For other companies, community takes time and work to build.
This starts at the core — building products and services that your customers can love. It also may include places for customers to congregate and talk about how they put your products to use.
On the flip side, community building also requires brands to acknowledge shortcomings and respond transparently when things go poorly. Think about what Target and Snap Chat will need to invest in rebuilding brand confidence after recent security breaches. Neither of these incidents was intentional, but trust was lost, and recovery will take time and monumental effort.
However, there is a certain beauty in community. When you build it, nurture it and engage with it, your community will tend to stand by your brand in good times and in bad. While never perfect — like your family, your neighborhood or your city — your brand community is one of the most powerful tools in the connected world.
Whatever you do, don’t ignore or underestimate the power of your community!
(Also Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat Events each Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome at events, or join our ongoing Twitter conversation anytime. Learn more…)
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Aggie-12thman.jpg348700Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2014-01-19 11:52:432020-05-27 16:53:38Community: A Brand's Most Powerful Friend
Perhaps nothing drives a brand forward more than its community.
An estimated 55% of consumers are willing to recommend companies that deliver great experiences, and 85% are willing to pay a premium for great services. But who are the “people” making those recommendations and purchasing decisions?
They’re members of your community, right?
I’m certain that if I asked every CMO and marketing leader I know to describe their brand community, I would get a different answer from each. “Community” is a subjective concept, with wide varying definitions.
There are also wide variations in how brands are seen, heard and felt by their respective communities. How deeply does a community feel connected to a brand?
For instance, think about Apple and its community. Apple gets attention because its brand recognition is extraordinary. But have you considered the powerful impact that Apple’s community has had on the success of the brand?
To demonstrate my point, think of the last conversation you’ve had with an “Apple fan” about the company, its products or its competitors. What did that conversation sound like?
If your experience is anything like mine, the conversation was probably wonderful, as long as you agreed about how wonderful Apple and its products are. However, if you dared to question the quality of Apple’s products, ideas or ability to innovate, you no doubt soon realized that you had crossed into enemy territory.
Those kind of conversations are a lot like telling your child that Santa isn’t real — only worse. But it speaks highly of the Apple community.
What is the catalyst for Apple’s insanely powerful connection with its community?
By-in-large, Apple doesn’t behave like a “nouveau” social company, so they’re not building their brand army through Facebook and Twitter. But it has brought together a passionate, global community by creating a sense of “belonging” that customers feel deeply when they use Apple products.
The iconic Apple slogan, “Think Different” epitomizes its cult-like following. On any given day at Starbucks around the world, people who want to be seen as broad-minded, creative thinkers are often found hovering over a Macbook — almost as if the presence of an Apple product is synonymous with their identity.
For Apple, this works. Through a customer experience focused on the idea that being different and innovative is “cool,” Apple has built one of the tightest brand communities on and off the web. But of course, Apple is a huge, established company, with a massive budget for community development. It leads me to wonder — how can other brands, smaller brands, newer brands tap into the power of community?
Not Just Community — A Close Community
Think about the neighborhood where you grew up. What was it like? Was it urban or rural? Were there many houses or just a few? Did you know your neighbors, or were they merely passing strangers?
Regardless of their shape, size and geography, most neighborhoods provide some sense of community. However, all neighborhoods aren’t the same. In my hometown, there was a “Community Center” — a place where folks from the neighborhood would congregate, connect and discuss issues affecting the area.
In that kind of environment, as citizens drew closer, the more they worked together to get things done — for example installing a stop sign where kids played in the street, and passing a referendum to build a new school. Over the years, as traditional urban settings gave way to modern models, subdivisions often created a community “on purpose,” with a Neighborhood Watch, a Board of Directors, and sometimes even a pool and recreation center.
This intentional approach to community brings stakeholders closer, by making neighborhood issues and events more visible, and helping community participants see the impact of their involvement.
Building a Brand Community Like a Neighborhood
When you boil it down to its simplest form, a community is the sum total of your brand stakeholders. I say stakeholder (rather than customer) because many people can participate in a brand community, beyond those who purchase a company’s products and services.
First, there are obvious extensions, such as employees and friends. Also, there are less obvious community players, such as those who are interested in learning more about your products and services, but may not have an immediate need to buy.
Let’s use automobiles as an example.
In 1995, when I was 14, my favorite car in the whole world was the new Pontiac Grand Prix. It had just been redesigned as a “wide track” model, and as a 14 year old, I thought it was one bad machine. However, at 14, I wasn’t legally or financially able to buy a car.
Four years later, I had scraped together all the loose change from under the sofa cushions, and I was ready to buy a car. Guess what I bought? The Grand Prix! That’s because I had emotionally tied myself to the brand, the car, and the community. When I was ready to purchase, it wasn’t even a question who would earn my business.
While my story is just one example, this type of brand loyalty exists with everything from the food we eat to the blue jeans we wear, and beyond. When people become a part of something, their purchasing sentiment changes. And guess what? So does the way they evangelize for your product. You think someone that likes your product is a good ambassador. Just think of someone who recently bought your product and likes it! That is another great frontier for brand building.
Which takes us back to building a close-knit community. It requires a setting for cultivation and nurturing. Much like a neighborhood — only different — to suit the needs of the brand and its community.
Community in the Connected World
If you think about the neighborhood example, you’ll likely think that a good community is small, tight knit, and somewhat directionally aligned.
But in the new world — the connected world where we manage communities on our blog, Facebook, Twitter and what seems like a million other places — the idea of community can become overwhelming. That’s because the “massiveness” of the online sphere is hard for many marketers to imagine in meaningful terms.
This can lead marketers to make some key community-building mistakes:
1) They aim too large: Mere numbers (pageviews, visits, likes, followers) aren’t relationships; 2) They don’t engage: Communicating with a “faceless” digital community can seem like a daunting task; 3) They miss out: Online communities are a powerful way to build influential brand advocates, but sometimes inaction takes over when brands don’t know where to start.
While these mistakes are typical, they can be avoided with a few common-sense tactics:
1) Aim for relevance: Rather than shooting for a large community, start by aiming for those that are most likely to buy your product/service now or in the near future. Also, with online networks (especially social networks), research where your target audience invests its time, and go there first!
2) Engage more than you promote: Share your stories, ideas and information, but make sure you allow the community to become part of the conversation. Ask more questions. Build more testimonials and case studies. Invite participation.
3) Start: Even if your “start” is small, don’t miss the opportunity to build a community by putting your head in the sand.
Remember: Building A Community Can Take Time
Apple has an amazing community of insanely loyal brand advocates. It also nearly crashed and burned on multiple occasions, and was saved by innovation that focused on consumption of music on a tiny MP3 player. For other companies, community takes time and work to build.
This starts at the core — building products and services that your customers can love. It also may include places for customers to congregate and talk about how they put your products to use.
On the flip side, community building also requires brands to acknowledge shortcomings and respond transparently when things go poorly. Think about what Target and Snap Chat will need to invest in rebuilding brand confidence after recent security breaches. Neither of these incidents was intentional, but trust was lost, and recovery will take time and monumental effort.
However, there is a certain beauty in community. When you build it, nurture it and engage with it, your community will tend to stand by your brand in good times and in bad. While never perfect — like your family, your neighborhood or your city — your brand community is one of the most powerful tools in the connected world.
Whatever you do, don’t ignore or underestimate the power of your community!
(Also Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat Events each Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome at events, or join our ongoing Twitter conversation anytime. Learn more…)
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Aggie-12thman.jpg348700Daniel Newmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngDaniel Newman2014-01-19 11:52:432020-05-27 16:53:52Community: A Brand’s Most Powerful Friend
(Editor’s Note: Want to learn more from Meghan about employee engagement strategies? Join a special #TChat webinar on November 7th, with Virgin Pulse president David Coppins. Register now …)
Late last year, I had an eye-opening experience while visiting a high-tech industry client.
Their office space is very cool. At first glance, it’s exactly what we expect from organizations with edgy, innovative brand personalities. But on second thought, something seemed to be missing.
The design is full-on open concept — rows of modular worktables, very low partitions, no private offices. As I looked across this vast bullpen, I couldn’t help wondering how people find a useful corner for a private one-on-one conversation, a quick team huddle, or an escape from distractions when it’s time to concentrate and actually get things done. This just doesn’t feel like a fully functioning workplace, where people can be productive throughout the day.
What’s Wrong With This Engagement Picture?
Of course, there’s a large, sunny cafeteria and a designated gaming area, complete with foosball table. That clearly helps seal the deal with new recruits, right? Well, perhaps I’m a bit jaded, but something about this hip, techie environment seems more like the year 2000 to me, when business managers decided that in-house cafes and communal work areas were the recipe for a happy, high-performance workforce.
Even now, part of me remains unconvinced. Why?
As a talent strategist, I work with many organizations whose primary staffing requirements focus on “thinking” jobs in the software development realm. Top performers in these positions typically want and need time, space, peace and quiet to perform well.
Sure, they collaborate with team members. And they love games and free coffee, soda and popcorn — who doesn’t? But these perks aren’t some sort of “secret sauce” that produces employee engagement. Employers may hope that games, food and wide open spaces guarantee happy, productive employees, but that’s not how it works.
Engagement is forged with different tools — trust, loyalty, open communication, clearly-articulated goals and expectations, shared values and well-understood reward systems. It really isn’t about how the office is designed, or how many toys you offer as distractions. It’s about treating employees as humans who are worthy of respect.
When companies like the one I visited tell me that their workplace culture and trendy furniture build employee engagement, I try to help them see that they’re focusing on the wrong part of the equation. They’re focusing on what, not why. The “what” can reveal a lot about a company, but it’s the “why” that tells you it’s a good company to work with.
5 Employee Questions Every Company Should Answer
What factors contribute to the “why” of employee engagement? Here are the top 5 questions I ask business and HR leaders to answer. They’re intentionally written from an employee’s point-of-view. If you answer honestly, your organization’s engagement strengths and weaknesses should become more clear:
1) “Why am I here?” How can you expect an employee to “get it” if you don’t communicate a shared sense of mission, vision and goals? Tell people why you want them to work at your company, and why you think they’ll succeed. Then you can focus on how they can achieve those goals.
2) “Why should I trust your leadership?” Open communication builds trust, which is essential to engagement. Respect is essential to mutual trust, which also contributes to engagement. Clear, open communication matters. But follow-up matters, too. Do you lead by example? Are your words consistent with your actions? The stronger the alignment, the stronger the trust.
3) “Why should I be loyal to your company?” Engaged employees know why they’re loyal – they are treated with respect. Companies that focus first on procedural activities, such as time tracking, will never see strong workforce productivity or engagement. Demonstrate your commitment and trust in employees, and they’ll respond in kind.
4) “Why don’t you communicate your company values?” Fail to show employees why core values matter, and you might as well forget about engagement. Even worse, if you talk about values and then behave in a vastly different way, you’ll telegraph just how little management actually embraces those values. Explain why a value system is important to you, and the what — the actual list of values — will follow.
5) “Why aren’t you clear about the rewards of working here?” Even in this enlightened era, surprisingly few companies are open about their approach to compensation. Yet, employees want to know what to expect in return for their contributions. You have nothing to lose by being clear and open about your reward system — including everything from pay and benefits, to vacation and bonuses, to development opportunities and career paths. Explain the why and what of your reward structure, and people will sign-on. But of course, the proof is in the pudding. It’s essential to be clear, consistent and unambiguous in creating and sharing rewards, or engagement will go out the window.
Winning Hearts And Minds: Put “Why” Before “What”
Innovative workspaces certainly have a place in the engagement mix. But that’s not the whole package. If your employees can’t answer the five questions above, all the cool workplace culture in the universe will not make a difference. First focus on the “whys” of working for your company, and you’ll win hearts and minds — regardless of what desk, chair or computer equipment you offer.
What are your thoughts about the “whys” of employee engagement? Let me know. I’m listening…
(Editor’s Note: This is adapted from a post at Forbes.com, with permission.)
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/5614813544_b480316fcd_b.jpg350700Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2013-10-31 12:10:572020-05-27 16:29:07Want Engaged Employees? Tell Them Why
These days, there’s lots of talk about the plight of a generation filled with hungry souls looking for purpose in life. Many find themselves feeling restless in their current roles, or searching endlessly for the ideal career path.
Although most of us must work to pay our way in the world, I think the mission is larger than just finding a great job. It’s also about finding strong role models.
Do You Give Employees A Reason To Stay?
When we’re kids, serendipity “assigns” the leaders in our lives. Our parents, our teachers, our coaches. We don’t pick these people, but they have a huge influence on how we develop and how we come to view ourselves. They can encourage and inspire us to stretch and grow; or they can stifle us, bully us and crush our spirits.
Those early experiences have a profound impact on us — but how do they carry over into careers?
Here’s a theory: Perhaps once we’re thrust into “the rest of our lives,” we’re on a mission to reconnect with the types of leaders we remember most fondly from our youth. It’s impossible to forget those who lit a fire in our hearts and under our butts — the ones who had confidence in us and challenged us to stretch and grow. We trust those types of leaders to guide us. They’re the ones in whom we want to invest both our loyalty and our time.
What should workplace decision makers learn from this? If you’re building a company, keeping the best people on your team is not just about salaries, perks and benefits. What youbring to the table as a leader matters just as much — if not more — to the overall happiness and commitment of your employees.
Looking Back: Survey Says…
Leigh Branham, author of 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave analyzed over 20,000 anonymous surveys asking employees why they left their last job. Although most managers believe pay is the primary reason people quit, Branham discovered that the number one reason actually is “loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders.”
The second reason? “Feeling undervalued in recognition, reward and pay.” Even though pay is included in that reason, it can be said that both loss of confidence and feeling that your work efforts are overlooked are actually leadership issues. “Undervalued” in this sense has little to do with money.
Some people might consider a new job at a different company because the pay is higher. However, the true seed of restlessness and dissatisfaction can be traced back to a disconnect between employee and employer.
Loyalty Breeds Loyalty
If employees quit leaders, not companies, then how can employers stem the tide? It starts with leaders who understand that to get loyalty from others, you must first give it. Leaders who take the initiative in demonstrating commitment to their teams are far more successful in gaining commitment in return.
1) Clarify your values and goals, and encourage open dialogue with employees to be sure everyone is on the same page.
2) Trust your employees with important company information. An open door approach helps employees feel empowered and part of something bigger than just their immediate responsibilities.
3) Encourage growth opportunities by allowing employees to further their formal education or seek advice from other leaders, managers and supervisors. This shows them you’re secure in your role as leader and are invested in their professional growth.
4) Be sensitive to work/life conflicts to demonstrate that you see employees as people, and not just “workers.” Kindness and respect invariably strengthens any relationship.
The 21st Century Leader
The fundamentals of great leadership are timeless (passionate, confident, well-spoken). However, we like to suggest a few additions to the leadership playbook.
As Todd Wilms noted recently in Forbes commentary, today’s leaders should be willing to fail, be vulnerable, and set better boundaries. What? Failure, vulnerability and saying “no”? At first glance, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. But let’s break it down:
1) See Success Through Failure. These days, the saying is fail and fail fast. Quite simply, it’s imperative to try, to DO, even if you don’t achieve the desired goal. And that’s the whole point, to try, to test, to experiment, to innovate, to push the envelope and perhaps to fail. Then learn, tweak, iterate and polish. A journey from idea to execution, rife with failure, is better than than paralysis. Leaders who embrace failure by carving a path through it can empower employees and remove fear from the equation.
2) Find Strength In Vulnerability.Actually, it’s not just about vulnerability. The goal is to expose your humanity by being authentic, accepting, present and useful. Author and executive, James A. Autry, says these 5 principles set the stage for a leader/employee dynamic that is more open and functional. Be real and be a resource. Open yourself up to employees and lead by example.
3) Just Say “No.” It’s simple and logical, but many fail to remember that when you try to do everything, you end up doing nothing. Or you end up doing everything, with mediocre results. A great leader is an editor. It’s not about being a jerk or someone that everyone fears. The point is to keep people focused and leveraged. The trick is to say “no” with such finesse that it sounds more like a favor than a dismissal. Too many “yes’s” and you become a pleaser. But thoughtful, appropriate “no’s” make you an effective leader.
Great Leaders Attract AND Retain
Building and running a company requires juggling many moving parts and pieces — you can’t do it all yourself. But no matter what service you’re providing or what product you’re building, don’t forget that YOU are one of the essential reasons your employees joined the company in the first place. Keep this in mind so those moving parts won’t include dissatisfied employees, high turnover and loss of essential talent.
Of course, sometimes losing a key player or two may be unavoidable. But if a pattern arises and you’re losing more employees than you’d like, and you’re unsure about why, it’s time to examine your approach to leadership. Taking conscious, deliberate steps to nurture your leadership skills and employer/employee dynamic is never a waste of time. In fact, it might make all the difference to to your organization’s long-term health and prosperity.
What’s fundamental leadership quality matters most to your organization? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
(Editor’s Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with others in the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat events every Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome. Learn more...)
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