By: Maurice Gilbert
Demands on employees have increased over the years. We all know that teams are doing more with less and in a lot of cases, workers are putting in longer hours, too, to manage an increased workload. It’s no longer the case that staff can simply show up, punch the proverbial time clock, knock out a moderate to-do list and head home worry free.
These days, we’re all expected to bring our A game every day. That means continually seeking out, proposing, or implementing strategies to innovate and improve wherever possible. Because so much is now expected of employees, however, their expectations of leadership have risen, as well. It’s also no longer the case that staff will put up with mediocre management – not when they’re bearing such a heavy load.
In order to keep good talent on board, then, leadership must make sure it’s meeting the employees’ needs and wants. If your organization doesn’t, after all, another probably will. Start by asking these three questions:
1. What keeps employees coming back every day?
The paycheck is the obvious answer here, but dig deeper. Are they looking for a Purpose? A challenge? To contribute to something truly rewarding? When you know what gets your staff out of bed in the morning, you can make the job even more meaningful for them.
2. What kind of workers are they?
You should know what your staff does especially well, what’s difficult for them and where their strengths lie. This is a huge help in knowing how best to delegate work or assign special projects both so that tasks are carried out effectively and so that contributors are able to do what they’re best at doing. Everyone wins.
3. What does happiness mean to them?
If an employee is happiest spending time with his young children, perhaps a flexible work schedule would make his life better. If another gets real satisfaction from recognition, she might be motivated by an up-front, designated parking spot or an Employee of the Month program. An employee is happiest when contributing to something bigger than herself, a corporate-sponsored volunteer program could be an excellent fit.
Placing staff where they’re most needed and creating a corporate culture that reflects your employees’ values and desires are sure ways to drive up engagement and retention.
Read more here.
Maurice Gilbert is Managing Partner of Conselium Executive Search which specializes in placing Compliance Officers and Regulatory Counsel for clients in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Maurice can be reached at www.conselium.com or maurice@conselium.com.
