Are your employees happy at work? Is the work that they do meaningful? Is your team engaged at work with coworkers and managers? If you are not sure, I strongly suggest you find out quickly.
A recent Gallup poll reported that over 51% of workers are actively searching for new jobs. As we see an all time high on job openings, employees are not only eager to leave, they have plenty of options to choose from. On top of that, job satisfaction in the workplace is decreasing at a rapid pace too!
A recent attendee and small business owner at one of my speaking engagements, was experiencing higher than usual staff turnover in their business and contacted me for help. I gladly accepted his offer and began to dive right in to see if I could find some causes for some of the high turnover. After a short time, speaking to his employees and managers, I realized it was an employee/management culture issue with the lack of communication, appreciation, team spirit and purpose that needed to be addressed.
Most businesses and organizations fall into the typical trap of how do we motivate employees and keep them satisfied. It is easy to assume that money is the primary driver in an employee’s decision to stay or leave a company. But when I asked my client’s staff the question, “What makes you stay at your company?”, their answers were quite different. The majority answered that question with “My job- I find the work meaningful, appreciative and enjoy working with my fellow teammates.”
Here is what your employees really want in a workplace culture.
- Employees are increasingly searching for meaning in their work, purpose and value recognition and the display of appreciation from their managers and coworkers. Employees who receive ongoing recognition for doing a good job feel their work has meaning and purpose.
- When it comes to feedback of performance, employees are looking for more frequent check-ins rather than once a year reviews. This will also enhance the manager-employee relationship.
- Employees want to work for a company that becomes a place of shared community where workers have a sense of belonging, bonding, team spirit and celebration of life events in the workplace. Once a year picnics, holiday parties and birthday cupcakes, free pizza and casual dress down days don’t cut it.
More than ever, workers are craving an emotional connection to their company and their work. If you want to reduce turnover, it is vital to create and have a human work culture fostering recognition and appreciation, while empowering individuals, strengthening relationships and provide a clear purpose in your business.
When doing so, employees are much more likely to be engaged, stay on, recommend your company to a friend and be motivated to do more. Now that is Magical! Contact me today if you would like to build and create a stronger human work culture and team spirit in your business.