Have you ever or have had employees who suffered discontent yet stayed on the job? Instead of leaving for the next challenge, most fall back on ways to be disengaged and actually depart psychologically rather than physically. It shows up in counterproductive activities that range from absenteeism to mediocre performances. How will that type of attitude and behavior affect your customer experience and business?
Their are two employee responses to discontentment: departure and disengagement. Either way, your business or team will lose. Not to mention your customers as well. Employees who depart or become disengaged do so because they are not content in their current jobs and are telling you that something is lacking in the work itself. The job may provide good pay, enjoyable, respected coworkers, job security, benefits and other important aspects. The company may even be an excellent organization doing great work.
However, the day to day elements of the job may not provide the stimulation, growth, future and current sense of achievement that make you or anyone else want to stay and contribute. If enrichment in the workplace is so beneficial, why aren’t businesses making an effort to include it as a standard part of every job? One good reason is that every job and every employee is different. What enriches one person is different from the next.
I have talked with many employees during my presentations and training who shared with me that being micro managed, boredom, and not knowing how their work and job is important to the company, can cause them to be disengaged and bored in their jobs. So how do you tailor job enrichment to individuals on your team and business? Easy, ask them?
Try the following questions to help people for possibilities to enrich their jobs:
- Do you know how your job is important to the company?
- What about your job do you find challenging? Rewarding?
- In what areas would you like increased responsibility for your current tasks?
- In what ways would you like your job changed?
- What would you like to be doing in the next three to five years?
The idea is to allows people to think about their jobs and discover ideas for enrichment. Be aware that these ideas and answers will vary greatly from one employee to another. Enriching the job does not have to be a difficult process. They only require three things from you or your leadership: Your time to listen, to be open minded and a willingness to give it a try. Most importantly, it does require that you stay alert to opportunities or areas of improvement where ever and when ever possible. In the long run, people will be engaged, contribute and stay longer, not because they have to, but because they want to. Now that is Magical!