No matter how good your products, services, or prices are, your employees are what drive your company. Taking care of them is as essential to your business as taking care of the motor in your car. If your employees are unhappy then ultimately, your customers will be too.
If you’re having trouble figuring out what your employees want out of their job, then you’re not alone. The job market has changed tremendously over the decades and so has workplace culture. Being a great leader is about getting the best out of the people around you, and elevating those around you requires understanding. Continue reading to learn what core values employees care the most about.
Respect
Of all things that employees expect to get in the workplace, respect is the most important. Your position as their superior means they have to respect you to keep their employment but understandably, your employees expect a measure of respect in return.
If it seems to you like respect is a bigger deal to employees now than it was a few decades ago, then you’re not imagining things. One of the main reasons for that culture shift is that millennials — who now make up the lion’s share of the workforce — aren’t as caught up on titles as previous generations are. Millennials are more likely to show respect for your character than your position and if they don’t respect your character, then they’re well aware that the door swings both ways, and they’re not afraid to use it.
You want the employee experience to be such that your team members look forward to clocking in, and respect goes a long way towards achieving that. At Venterra Realty, respect for their employees is one of their core values, and that’s why they were ranked as one of the best medium-sized companies to work for in 2019. The best part for them is that their employees’ satisfaction also translates to customer satisfaction.
Don’t become a doormat for your employees or surrender your authority, but treat them as people under your leadership who are your junior partners on the job and your equals outside of work. Respect for your subordinates is one of the fundamental traits of a great leader.
Recognition
One of the most discouraging things for an employee is to do excellent work and then have that work go unnoticed. You should congratulate your employees when they exceed with as much fervor as you apply when you’re reprimanding them for conduct detrimental to the business.
Your employees will perform better if they know there is the potential for recognition or reward when they do well. However, it’s not just about recognition. Your employees want feedback on their job performance.
Everyone likes to feel like they’re good at their job. Even if an employee isn’t performing well, they’ll appreciate your constructive criticism. Take the time to show them you notice the job they’re doing and either congratulate them or offer some helpful suggestions.
Honesty
If your employees are dishonest with you, then it will more than likely cost them their jobs, but what if you’re dishonest to your employees? Broken promises are like fake paychecks to them, and do you know what fake pay stubs look like? The epitome of worthlessness.
If it gets to the point where your employees have no trust in you or faith in the company, then you may as well close the doors to your business or become the sole operator. You don’t have to be a perfect business owner, but you do have to be upfront with your employees if you want their respect and hard work. Do you know what a kept promise looks like to an employee? A real pay stub from a check they just took to the bank.
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