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What Do Employees Need Most?

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Today’s post, I’m going to really bottom-line things here. There is ONE thing every employee needs, and most are not getting it. And it’s costing you by them not having it.

We are in the midst of a talent shortage with no signs of easing until 2030. Yet most organizations have no plan, aren’t aware or are not taking it seriously. Plus, only 30% of the workforce is actually engaged and satisfied. After all, did YOU wake up today, throw your feet into your ruby clad slippers, clicking your heels together saying, “There’s no place like work! There’s no place like work! There’s no place like work!” (I thought not.)

Now, you didn’t get into your profession, doing all that school, clocking all those hours, putting in all that extra sweat equity only to accept mediocrity. Since when did just getting through all our emails become a sign of a “good day”? If you too are unwilling to accept this reality – for yourself or others – let us unite in this common cause not to turn the 70% apathy to downright disengagement at a workaround. Are you with me? I said… are you with me?

(Of course, you are! We spend more hours working than anything else. To accept blah at work is the equivalent to eating mashed potatoes every dinner for the rest of our lives. Heck, I love a butter plate of taters like anyone else, but every night? Just sayin’)

But how you might be wondering? Besides being locked in email jail, there are those reports you’ve got to get to and the competition nipping at your heals and that vacancy you need to fill. Who has the time for anything else, as worthy a cause it may well be… You see, this is the very issue! For so many of us, we’re in firefighting mode. Reacting not engaging. Recovering not thriving. Managing stress, burnout and fatigue, not embracing wellness, growth and new opportunities.

We’re so distracted by the day-to-day grind, we are missing the single most effective, easiest and cost-neutral strategy to retain top talent and get out of firefighting mode. Recognition – or as I like to refer to it – Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness.

In writing my first book Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness, my co-author Brenda Zalter-Minded and I approached Canadian Engagement Survey company Metrics@Work to analyze their database. Were there differences between the 20 most satisfied teams with recognition compared to the 20 most unsatisfied?

What we found didn’t surprise us, as we found time and time again as organization development and culture experts, when we fixed recognition first in a team imploding, coached leaders how to do it more or initiated a peer-to-peer recognition program, everything else got better and fast. And here’s the data to substantiate it. Teams with high satisfaction with recognition have significantly higher scores in:

  • Overall engagement,
  • continuous improvement,
  • satisfaction with leadership,
  • trust in the organization and
  • intention to stay.

In my 20 years of organizational development and coaching, I cannot tell you another strategy that affects all these things and how easy it is to implement. Certainly not one that is accessible to anyone regardless of role, budget or industry.

So how have we missed this?

I have a theory. Somewhere along the way someone told us or we told ourselves that if we didn’t read it in a textbook, have to pass it on a professional exam or had to work hard to learn it, it isn’t as valuable. And this simply isn’t true.

We have a bias toward “things I know that others don’t” over the universal truths that work for us all. A universal truth is there isn’t a person on this earth that doesn’t need to know they matter and they have value.

Recognition is the ONE thing that is true of EVERY employee needs, regardless of education level, industry or position power. Don’t believe me? Well, have you ever conducted an exit interview and heard someone complain about receiving too many compliments, were made to feel too welcomed and couldn’t get any work done for all the appreciation that was happening? If only.

Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers substantiated that for people to grow, they need to feel accepted, listened to and understood. Think about it in your own career. Haven’t you left jobs because you felt overworked, overlooked, and unappreciated for your contributions? Would you have stayed if you felt more valued and recognized?

Recognition can be a uniting factor across organizations. Forget the intergenerational BS that distracts us. Forget the metrics we come up within a boardroom if they’re devoid of the employee experience. Forget even about the mission, vision and values if our people don’t feel respected and appreciated. Those KPIs and start plans you’ve worked on is just a piece of paper (or worse a make-work exercise) if no one buys into it.

You cannot execute your plans and deliverables without talent. Your reputation is at risk when your talent flees (to speak nothing of being bashed on Google or Glassdoor). Your customers don’t want to work with dissatisfied people (and they can tell if someone doesn’t want to be there).

Our talent shortage may make it an employee’s job market, but this serves the organization too. It is lowering the waterline, uncovering aspects of your culture and behaviours that have needed attention for a long time but weren’t important enough (in someone’s views or compared to other priorities). Your talent shortage gives you licence to finally fix those things that you’ve known were there, like that nagging pebble in your shoe.

And you want some good news (you’re probably saying, “I thought she’d never ask!”) You can fix your talent shortage with recognition quickly, cost-effectively and easily. To start, please know there are three ways almost everyone wants to be recognized (according to that same research shared in our book):

  1. A verbal thank-you
  2. Personal specific words of acknowledgment
  3. A written thank-you

Have you ever received a thank-you card and say, “oh great! Another one of these. As if I have the time to read all this!” Did you skip reading it and threw right into the recycling? No! When I ask my audiences what they do, their answers are varied and fantastic!

  • I show my family
  • I put it on my Bullen board/credenza
  • I send it to my HR file
  • I bring it up in a performance appraisal
  • I fell my friends over coffee
  • I put it in a box and look at them on a bad day
  • I shove my kid’s artwork on the fridge to the side so it’s front and centre (I love this last one!)

You have the potential for employees to become an army of recruiters. I work with organizations in high turnover industries that have no turnover problems. Why? Because their people tell their friends they should work there, even before there’s an opening! Why? Because they want their friends to be happier! (And according to Gallop “I have a best friend at work” is one of 12 indicators of job satisfaction so it serves to retain people longer-term too… a win-win!)

Be the disruptor by bringing recognition by FROGing someone – Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness – into your day-to-day world. Role model the way for others. Let’s dare to dream that together we can reverse that 30% engagement around so 70% (or more) are!

And by the way, if someone hasn’t FROGed you lately, let me say this; if you’re reading this post, you clearly care about people. Thank YOU for the huge love, care and service you give to your organization, colleagues and clients. It is a better place because of you.

Want to check out more resources about how you can recognize other’s greatness? Check out these articles:

How to Appreciate People You Don’t Like

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There are two questions I get asked more than any other questions after a keynote. The first is “how do I recognize people in a way that’s sincere?” (see my post here about that answer). The second most common is “how do I recognize people I don’t like”?

There was a time I wouldn’t know how to answer that one. 

Over time, as an organizational development practitioner, I’ve had a lot of experience working with people in the thick of negativity. Whether it was diving into a team environment imploding at the seams, being assigned a “dysfunctional” coaching client or teaching leaders how to have difficult conversations, I’ve learned over time that the heightened emotions make it seem much more complicated than it actually is. You see, if we can recognize people despite their flaws, negativity, and unresourcefulness, it makes it virtually impossible for them to tear you down and stay miserable around you (I said virtually impossible…some folks are pretty steadfast!)

When you first read the title, you probably immediately thought of someone (I’m a bit psychic…did I mention that before?) Even if you worked with them 25 years ago, you can probably remember their name and what the workplace looked like and the words they used. We encode emotional memories with much more clarity than neutral memories, so it’s normal for someone to jump to mind. 

I am guessing you didn’t just think, “I should really message them on Facebook and see how they’re doing” let alone “hmm, I wonder how I could recognize them!”

Why didn’t that latter question pop to mind? Imagine how much less power that person would have over your life, career and workplace if they didn’t take up negative emotional real estate in your brain?

The easiest way to do this is to practice the art of recognition. Whether it’s to them directly or conjuring up anything about them that wasn’t “so bad”, it deflates the emotional and mental energy that person occupies in your brain.

Not only do you deserve to be rid of that strain, they may need you to throw them some empathy. Maybe the negativity comes from them not being happy with where they are. Maybe they feel used up, undervalued and unappreciated. Maybe they’re so frustrated and unresourceful they cannot find a more effective way to communicate their ideas.

Whatever the reason, I’m going to share three practical strategies you can use the next time someone complains and dishes out the negativity so you don’t have to be the equivalent of a human emotional sponge!

  1. Be Curious About Complaints

As my co-author Brenda Zalter-Minded and I share in our first book, Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness: Solution-Focused Strategies for Satisfied Staff, High Performing Teams & Healthy Bottom Lines, a complaint is not always a problem. A complaint may simply be a poorly worded request. Granted, it takes work to see it this way. At first glance, it can feel like a bit of a dig. It can sting. It can be annoying and poorly timed. However, instead of writing them off, blaming them and labeling them as a “Complainer”, take a moment to be curious if they actually have a suggestion or request. 

  1. Forgive the Delivery 

Maybe the message has been poorly delivered. If we only look at how an opinion is delivered, we miss what’s behind it. There could be a great suggestion, realistic view, or solution. If you remain curious, you are less likely to also fall into a problem-centric view of the situation or this person. You’re also less likely to view this person as a problem. You may ask questions and gain a better understanding of their views, ideas and solutions. You instead can see this person as temporarily unresourceful, and search for value behind the negativity. As the old adage goes, it’s not what you do or say, it’s how you make people feel. If you make someone who feels negative and unresourceful feel heard, valued and appreciated, they’ll be less likely to target negativity at you.

  1. Drop the Story

When we view someone as a “Complainer” and negative, it’s usually a story. That’s not all the person is. As Brene Brown suggests, ask yourself: “what is the story I’m telling myself?” This is also the underpinning on all the research and models about how to have difficult conversations. If you’re telling yourself a story, you can’t untangle yourself from your own negative view of someone. What part and parcel of the story? That person doesn’t deserve appreciation. It just serves to further divide and disconnect.

  1. Recognize Progress and Potential (Not Only the Exceptional)

We have a notion that only the top performers should get the accolades. In the 80s, popular management theory said fire your bottom 10% of performers. Now I’m not suggesting we never hold people accountable, however, imagine how much we disregard, hold back and fail to benefit from great ideas shared by people who’s delivery is critical or surly? Instead, what value is or could she bring if we could see behind the complaint? What ideas does he have if we could forgive the criticism? What improvements might a team offer if they felt included versus excluded? Recognize progress and potential, not just perfection and polish. 

I hope this has given you some good insight about how recognition is true and important to everyone, not just the people who are always positive, the cheerleaders, the shining stars. That’s really only 20% of that bell curve of the employees in your organization. We still can recognize that seemingly least satisfied 20% because it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re poor performers; they may just be unsavvy communicators. Don’t let their negativity tell you that there is nothing to value. And believe me, when you can recognize somebody, even when they know and you know you don’t quite see eye to eye, that is one of your breakthrough opportunities for a truly meaningful connection.

And as Carl Rogers, humanistic psychologist said, “if there’s one thing every human being needs to grow, it is to be valued, heard, and listened to. So when you listen to people, even when they’re not at their best, and find something to recognize, that is your best opportunity to truly meaningfully connect with them.”

Know someone struggling with how to deal with negative people they work or live with? Why not share this post.

Want to check out more resources about how you can recognize other’s greatness? Check out these articles:

Are You An Employer of Choice for Today’s Employee-Driven Market?

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Being aware of some of the workforce trends allows you to be responsive. Many clients of mine are from the healthcare industry, so let’s start there. Healthcare and the tech industry are the two areas with the greatest shortage of talent, and this will only exponentially grow in the years ahead.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that we don’t have gaps elsewhere. Many of my hospitality clients also experience large turnover in staff and retaining your best people is an incredible challenge. Sure, you can replace people, but do you replace them easily with the right people? To speak nothing of the high costs of orientation and training.

Remaining an employer of choice is an essential focus for you in 2019.   there to be a dramatic shift in the abundance of talent and that this shortage will remain across industries, so being a great place to work is still your best way to retain and attract talent away from the competition.  It’s similar to real estate – there’s buyers’ markets and sellers’ markets. Right now, it’s an employees’ market, not an employers’ market.

Some of my clients don’t like this so don’t address it. Like it or not, you’re already experiencing the pain from it.

When you do, the talent shortage can actually good news for you. You’re the organization who cares, who works at being a great place to work, who values and recognizes your people every day. It is okay for it to be an employees’ market because, actually, it means that people are savvier. They’re more selective. And you’re more likely to recruit them away from the competition who don’t love up and care about their people. Who are still caught up in old notions that “you’re lucky to have a job”. True, and they can get a job elsewhere; it’s time to accept this reality.

Where the Biggest Talent Gaps Exist

So how worried should you be? Well, there are some key positions that are on the rise and if you need them in your organization, workforce planning needs to be a priority. The top shortages in 2018  with the steadiest increases include:

1.Fulfillment Associates.

As we continue to see more online shopping, this is not going to go away anytime soon. I’d love to have a fulfillment associate for every time somebody buys something from my store. I get how valuable these people are.

2.Machine Learning Engineer.

These are people who know artificial intelligence. It’s only getting more sophisticated, and we’re seeing it everywhere now. If you’ve got kids, direct them into one of these areas.

3.Family Doctors.

If you speak with physicians, some will tell you that there is a surplus of doctors and that there’s no shortage. But family physicians specifically, and in some parts of the country, are in short supply, and our aging demographic will only heighten the gap. Add to this that more recent grads work of hours of previous generations, it’s also a work-life balance that doctors are craving like everyone else.

4.Manufacturing Technician.

Given how many products and services continually need to be serviced, we are creating products that stay in the marketplace longer, and so we need people to be able to fix and repair those products.

5.Technical Recruiter.

In this tech field, given that there is such a shortage, one of the most coveted roles that we have is somebody who can be a recruiter finding some of those amazing tech people.

Responding to Talent Shortages and an Employee-Driven Job Market

So what do you do to remain an employer of choice and retain great people? Here are five things that I know will help to keep and attract top talent.

1.Compensation Strategy.

Do you simply pay people what you can get by, or do you, in fact, have the intention of being one of the top payers in your sector?

This is particularly important when people make under $50,000 a year. A fulfillment associate, for example, would likely make the leap from another organization to you if you are paying in the top 25% of your sector. As soon as people make over $50,000 a year, the culture, their colleagues, and other variables rise. If you are in the bottom percentage, people will feel frustrated, resentful, and may not take a promotion if it doesn’t seem like it’s going to make a big difference in their paycheck.

2.Long-term Career Options.

I was speaking with somebody just the other day about how he continues to put forward more and more discretionary effort because he knows there’s growth potential in his company. Are there opportunities for people to move around and do interesting, meaningful work?

3.Sense of Ownership.

How much are people able to have a sense of ownership? And ownership can be conceptual, as well as literal. When we talk about ownership, this is people feeling like they have a sense of control and that they can impact the work. For example, a product has a defect, and they bring forward ideas about how to make that better and that’s valued and heard. If people see there’s a piece of garbage on the floor, they pick it up, and they will put it away because they feel a sense of ownership.  They treat their workplace like it is their own family, their own clients, their own living room. There’s a sense of ownership.

If you’re in the for-profit sector and there is actually an opportunity for employees to own a part of the company, that makes a tremendous difference in their commitment to the long-term success of it.

4.Recognition.

Be sure your people feel valued and appreciated for their unique greatness. Are they able to bring their talents, passions, and virtues, and when they do, are they appreciated? It all comes back to people doing meaningful work, that they’re valued, they’re appreciated, and that they have options.

Looking to create your own strategy to address the shortages you’re seeing your workplace? Happy to share a few additional ideas. Jump into my calendar here for a 15-minute culture consult. 

4 Ways to Be THE Amazing Workplace Everyone Buzzes About

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If you Google the words, “talent shortage” you will render about 21,400,000 results.

The International Journal of Human Resources Management has a number of publications they release. One of them is the Canadian HR Reporter, and their lead story in a recent addition is that there’s a talent shortage that is threatening growth. This has been backed up by consulting giants like Deloitte who warn that this talent shortage is here to stay until at least 2030, particular in tech and healthcare. Millions are missing globally from key positions required for growth, care, and advancement.

There are many factors contributing to this shortage, but the answers don’t have to be complicated. Sure, we can talk about globalization, immigration policy and the changing nature of work, however when we’re not getting the basics right, that is just a distraction.

Most organizations do not value their people. So why would they stay?

People need to know they’re valued, which means they need to do meaningful work, be recognized for their contributions, while using their strengths, and with respectful people. People need a sense of belonging, community, and contribution.

To get them back the next day, you (and their team) needs to treat them like they are wanted back.

It is unbelievable to me how many intelligent, motivated and passionate professionals I speak for every year who don’t believe the statement above is true. And yet I bet you do value them. So how do we show it more transparently? Here are four essential ways:

1. Be Consistent

Have systems where you ensure you recognize people on a regular basis so they know they are valued and their contributions matter. If you have a collective group meeting whether it’s stand-up huddles, team meetings, or annual general meetings, consider how to fit recognition in. If it doesn’t fit then your people don’t know how they’re contributing to all the other things that you’re bringing up in those meetings from organizational values to strategic priorities to milestone projects. Where do they fit?

2. Put it in Context

Bring recognition to life through the customer’s perspective. Whether those are internal customers or external, individuals need to know how their talent positively impacts the reason why their role exists. Share stories, testimonials, good news metrics. Connect the dots about how an individual or the team has led to that positive feedback.

3. Be Specific

One of the biggest pieces of feedback I get after a keynote is the importance of recognition being specific. Why? Because when recognition happens it’s often blanket statements to the whole team or generic, “good job” statements. You need to acknowledge specific contributions, strengths, and results individuals and teams are contributing. And leaders, as much as I’m the first to profess, you need a culture of recognition where everyone participates. It matters that it comes from you most of all. Research shows that people leave bosses, not organizations, and in our own analysis, we’ve shown how high recognition scores are correlated with satisfaction with management. In an interview with Tonia Jahshan, owner of multimillion-dollar Canadian company Sipology by Steeped Tea, she shared how she personally writes kudos cards every single week to her staff, consultants and partners. Specific, meaningful little notes. If she can do it, we all can.

4. Systematize and Ritualize

Make it easy and affordable to acknowledge and maintain that sense of community, even if you’re not all in the same space. Use virtual systems like Slack or Yammer. Utilize your intranet to collaborate, share and acknowledge milestones and contributions. Maintain traditions like summer socials that bring people together. And as a side note, retaining great people isn’t always about money. Once you make over $50K in Canada (the research goes) it has less and less impact, and the same goes for preference for types of recognition being a personalized thank-you over gifts.

Remember, only 30% of people are actually engaged and satisfied at work. By having an incredible team and organization, people may choose to leave that organization and go to you. Discover an abundance of free tools and resources. There are many infographics to help spread this message about the importance of leveraging recognition to retain top talent. Recognize your talent today!

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