Do you believe the two most important things that an employer can offer an employee are high salaries and rich benefits? While this is certainly true and has proven time and time again to be an effective way to attract and retain top talent, allow me to challenge your beliefs. From my experience, a flexible and empathetic leader who not only listens, but also hears their reports and validates what is being said, is the single most valuable commodity a company can have when trying to retain top talent.
Imagine a scenario where the benefits are solid, the pay is more than fair, but the employee is experiencing a personal challenge that requires accommodation. Let us put this on a higher tier- that said accommodation does not have legal protection; thus, the employer is not obliged legally to acknowledge or honor the request. Does it disrupt the day-to-day functions of the business? Does it create a burden for other employees? Let’s pretend it does not. To feel valued, that employee would need to be heard and have their request, at the bare minimum, acknowledged. In this type of situation, a leader is under a moral, rather than a legal, obligation to respect their employee and engage in a discussion where a possible accommodation, or at least a compromise may be reached. In all honesty, it is not the result that will affect the employee as much as the feeling that they are being heard by their leader. It sounds so simple, but so often, this does not happen. Employers are stuck in the one-dimensional belief that all a worker wants is a good paycheck and that should be enough to keep everyone happy. This is an archaic and often unethical approach to management. And it often results in an employee moving on in hopes of locating a position where they are seen as a three-dimensional human being and not a cog in a wheel. In essence, they are leaving a “job” to find a “career”. All jobs pay a wage; all jobs of a certain level will have benefits, but careers…. they have a management that will advocate for what their talent needs. They will hear you and acknowledge you.
We are living and working in an era where the phrase “employee burnout” is commonplace. What, exactly, is burning everyone out? The pandemic? The news? Fear? Being expected to do more with less? It could be one thing, or everything. Thinking of employees as one-dimensional workers is a grave misstep so many employers are making. Why are we witnessing “The Great Resignation?” What is the root cause? There are probably many reasons people are leaving their jobs in droves. But maybe the easiest thing an employer can do to curb the mass exodus is just to listen. Truly hear what they are being told. Acknowledge what is being requested. Make a concerted effort to at least try and meet an employee half-way. People have had to make drastic adjustments in their personal lives, and companies are obliged to recognize this and pivot accordingly. Those that do, will be rewarded with a loyal workforce. Those that do not will see a revolving door of new hires while the business hemorrhages money.