It Doesn’t Cost A Million For Employees To Feel Like A Million
The Holy Grail in business is to be successful in attracting, developing and retaining a dynamic workforce committed to delivering positive results for the organization. Regardless of your business strategy or organization profile, people are your greatest asset - But do you treat them as such? As an HR strategist, the question I’m asked most often is: “How do I build and maintain a winning workforce?” It’s the issue that fills the news (online and off), print publications and business seminars. And my answer is: You learn from the cues provided by your staff. In a nutshell, employees are looking for a sense of purpose, meaningful recognition, and a fair reward. It may be trite, but people know it’s true, “the best things in life are free” and people covet more than just money. Whether you head a small, family-owned business or a large global organization, the following employee priorities will help you maintain a winning work environment. If you are not yet focused on these principles, please consider how they can improve your organization’s performance and lead to a workforce of employees who “feel like a million.”
Open communication and transparency are the foundation of trust, and both are deeply valued by all generations in today’s workforce. Management must consistently demonstrate they are actively listening and responsive to employees. In my years of working with multiple organizations, the most commonly expressed employee frustration is the lack of candid and timely communication from management.
A sense of purpose is fundamentally important to people and employees need help seeing how their work connects to the overall organization. Purpose fuels and sustainseveryone’s efforts.
Identify your top talent early, share career plans with them and provide support so they can grow. If not, someone outside your organization will.
Be generous with recognition (accomplishments, contributions, teamwork behaviors, etc). Everyone wants to work for people that appreciate their efforts. A genuine “thank you” can make it a “great day” for members of your staff. Recruiters are known to entice employees away by showing how valuable their talent is. Don’t miss the opportunity to treat your staff as well — or better — than others outside the organization. It’s a good idea to maintain the enthusiasm you showed for each individual when he or she first joined the company.
Leverage talent by involving people in projects and internal social media connectivity to create a lively and engaged work environment. This kind of activity gets work done and builds teamwork and internal friendships, which can be a major factor in employee retention.
Remembering and acting on these principles can make your employees feel like your organization’s greatest asset and lead your organization to being a winner in attracting and retaining the best talent. As Andrew Carnegie noted long ago, “The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and ability of its people.” Amy Mysel, HR Strategist, advises organizations on aligning business and talent for long-term success. Reach her click here. 847-830-7771.
