Stop Using the “Goodies and Gimmicks” Approach to Retention – Part II
by David Lee
Part Two of a
Three Part Series Published by ERExchange.com
In the first part of this article, we discussed why retention
strategies based on “goodies and gimmicks” are misguided and how such
approaches are also not the key to increasing morale or becoming an employer of
choice. Instead, becoming an organization that attracts and retains the best
employees, requires basing strategies on essential human needs that, when
fulfilled, lead to satisfied, committed, productive workers. Six of the most critical human needs that
affect employee commitment and performance are:
1. Pride in One’s Work and
Employer
2. Work That Has Meaning
3. Understanding The Goal and One’s Role
4. To Be a Player And Not Just a Hired Hand
5. The Chance to Experience
Efficacy
6. To Be Heard
In Parts II and III of this article, we will
explore each of these important human needs and how to use them, along with
accompanying questions, to help your organization become a Talent Magnet.
Organizations with a committed, inspired workforce
expect excellence from themselves and their employees. Organizations with low
morale and high turnover often suffer from a pride problem. In these companies,
employees frequently see poor quality products and services tolerated,
ineffective managers not held accountable, operational decisions made without
due diligence, and flavor of the month fad following, among other pride
destroyers.
With respect to employee pride, remember this:
“Everything Matters.” Every management, marketing, customer service,
operations, and public relations action will affect whether employees feel
pride in their work and their employer.
1. Do our products and/or
services warrant pride?
2. Do our operational
decisions and processes warrant pride?
3. Do we let poor quality go
unchallenged?
Perhaps THE secret weapon of Talent Magnet
organizations is creating a meaningful work experience, where employees –
regardless of their job – feel like they are doing something important. This is
such an important “difference that makes a difference” because the desire for
meaning and purpose is one of the most fundamental and powerful drives. How do
you create a work experience that has deep meaning? First, make sure your organization’s
mission and vision don’t just stay on a wall plaque, but instead come to life
everyday in the actions of your managers. Second, continually communicate to
employees how your mission and vision translate into their daily work. They
need to know how they make it happen. Third, connect your workers with your
customers through testimonials, videos, focus groups, or face to face
encounters. Make sure they can to experience how their behind the scenes work
makes a difference on your end user.
1. Do we give our employees a
reason to care?
2. Do our mission and vision
inspire passion?
3. Do our employees understand
how they contribute to our mission and vision?
4. Do our employees hear and
see how their work affects our customers?
Years ago, while doing a project in
My lack of engagement and flat out boredom reminded me
of the experience many employees have of their work, because they don’t
understand the game they’re playing. They don’t understand the company’s
mission and vision in practical terms, they don’t know the business goals, the
role they play in achieving these goals, how they provide the greatest value,
how the company itself works, how their market works, how well the company is
doing, and how well they themselves are “playing the game.” How can we expect
employees to be to be excited about a “game” they don’t understand?
1. Do our employees understand
the Big Picture and their role in making it happen?
2. Do our employees understand
the workings of our organization and how each piece affects the others?
3. Do our employees understand
the fundamentals of business in general, and ours in particular?
4. Does each employee
understand how he or she provides value and the ways he or she can provide the
most value?
5. Do we communicate regularly
what is going on in the organization and marketplace?
6. Do we give our employees
numerical data that allows them to assess their performance and progress?
People are a lot like cats. If we’re not stimulated,
we can be like a housecat – about as lively as a pillow. When our curiosity is
aroused, we become like an outdoor cat – a veritable learning and exploration
machine. Scientists believe that the drive to learn is hard-wired into us. Some
maintain that this need is even more fundamental than the desire to procreate,
since it is needed the moment a baby enters the world. When organizations
thwart this innate drive by not allowing employees to learn, they create a
bored, disengaged workforce.
Giving employees the chance to learn on the job, to
solve problems, to offer solutions, can transform a lethargic, disengaged
workforce into a vibrant, passionate team. Few things engage workers more than
being able to roll up their sleeves and solve real life problems. Yet, so often
they only get to be worker bees, little drones mindlessly carrying out
strategies created from above.
Making employees players and not just hired hands not
only taps into the human need to learn, it also taps into the powerful drive
for meaning discussed earlier. Employees want to matter; they want what they do
to matter. Having the chance to be a player, to give one’s input and have it
respected, is one of the most powerful drivers of employee performance and
retention, according to
1. Do we actively involve our
employees in problem solving and process improvement?
2. Do we give them the
information and support to make good decisions?
3. Do employees actually have
the authority to execute their decisions?
4. Do we constantly ask for
input, both for issues related to an employee’s particular process or
department, and for overall organizational issues?
5. Do we give employees a
chance to be like small business owners with regard to their work?
In the third and final segment of this article, we
will explore the final two critical human needs in our list of needs that affect
employee commitment and performance. These are:
· The
Chance to Experience Efficacy
· To
Be Heard
We will end off with a list of “Next Steps” to help
guide your application of this information.
For Parts II and III, go to
the Employee Retention
article section.
Click Here for more articles
by David Lee
About the
Author: David Lee is a consultant, speaker, and executive coach.
The founder of HumanNature@Work, he has worked with
organizations and presented at conferences throughout
For More Information:
David Lee, President
HumanNature@Work
P.O. Box 430
Bar Mills, Maine 04004
Tel: 207-929-3344
E-mail: info@HumanNatureAtWork.com