Do Your Employees Know How You Feel About Them?

Do you think your employees are able to determine whether or not you are invested in them or not?

I have been a Human Resources professional for almost thirty years and have worked for organizations that have invested in their employees and those who have not.  It is easy to tell the difference.  All you have to do is see the morale and environment of the employees in the organization. 

Employees know whether or not their employer is interested in their well being and the contribution that they make to the organization.  An organization that is invested in their employees makes positive contributions to retain these employees and that doesn’t necessarily mean that the contributions are of a monetary nature.  Offering a competitive compensation and benefits package (Medical, Dental, Vision & Life) with an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) is good package. 

You will find that organizations not invested in their employees offer minimal benefit packages, sometimes the compensation package are below industry standards. There are little or no open lines of communication going on between management and the employees.  The employees are workers who are just there to complete their eight hour shift and go home.  More often than not they don’t even know the mission and vision of the organization.  There definitely is no visible connection between the organization and the employees.

An organization that cares for their employees lets them know.  It starts at the top with senior management and Human Resources delivering the company’s mission and vision to the employees.  Your employees are the voice of your organization they need to be a part of the mission and vision. 

It is key that the employees know that they matter, they need to be heard (They need to know you are not just listening but that you hear what they are saying.) and shown that you take to heart their issues, concerns, and suggestions.  By the CEO conducting Employee Forums or Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner with the CEO and senior management it gives the employees the opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions.  This promotes ongoing open lines of communication. 

Employers who have a positive work environment = happy employees.  Happy employees are productive employees who feel they belong and make a difference to the organization.  You sense the team work present in both the employees and management.  Compare the bottom line of an employer who cares about their employees vs. one that doesn’t  it shows.     

You can immediately detect the employer that shows no interest in their employees.  The environment is tense, you sense a lot of negativity, and no team-work is present.  Unhappy employees = a non-productive work place setting and I bet you the bottom line in suffering too.

Working as a Human Resources professional for an employer who is not invested in their employees proves to be quite the challenge.  You have limited resources and they expect you to work miracles with no support or the necessary tools to needed to even try and make an impact.

I am happy to work for an employer who is invested in their employees.  You can make a positive impact, work in a team environment and are provided with the resources and tools needed to move forward.  The mission and vision are not only known by both the employees and management but they promote it together.  

Everyone wins!

What kind of employer do you work for?  Please share your thoughts I’d love to hear from you.

Rhonda