Employee loyalty

Employee loyalty-

Employee loyalty today seems to be declining for many organizations.  Many employees seem to want more and more, are willing to tolerate less and less, and generally require more attention, compassion, understanding and interest.  Is this true for your organization?  If so, why?  Here are a few reasons:

1. There are several distinct groups of employees today that each require a different management approach, style and philosophy. When you give each group the  attention and management style they want and need the members of each group will tend to feel special, needed and  validated.

2. Layers of management are getting thinner and thinner – leaving more employees per manager to supervise, coach, train and lead.

3. Change, uncertainty, and unknowns are everywhere in the world today.  Many organizations don’t have a clue where they will be or what their organization will look like in five years. How can they then provide a clear career path that will satisfy their employees’ future needs/desires.

4. Personal values of various employee groups vary: ‘baby boomers’ want certain things from their organizations and managers, while the ‘gray’ generation wants other things. Giving the wrong responses, offering the wrong reactions to the values desired by each group, or not being ‘tuned in’ to the issues, concerns or wants of each group can spell disaster.

From my personal experience working with hundreds of organizations during the past 35+ years, I will tell you that employee turnover is one of the biggest costs your organization can have that will have a negative impact on every aspect of your company’s future success. It impacts customer relationships, vendor relationships, competitor attitudes, employee performance and your bottom line.

Many companies have very loyal long-term employees. Why?  There are hundreds of reasons. Here are a few that come to mind quickly:

1. Management really cares about the employees.  Not just as people who do work, but as individuals who have a life outside of work.

2. The organization is growing – giving employees career path options in the future.

3. The organization is generous with its profits, and doesn’t just save them for only top people at the top of the food chain.

4. Their corporate cultures are open, fun, honest, friendly and supportive.

Your turn, can you add any items to either list?