What Employees Need
As we slowly emerge from a global pandemic and start to shift “back to normal”, it is important to take the time to reflect on lessons learned and adjust the way things used to be done to accommodate the changing needs of employees. Gone are the days of people coming to work just for a paycheck. Your human capital is your most valuable asset, and as such you want to retain them and help them to be productive and satisfied. In order to have a thriving and productive workforce, the focus needs to be on your employee’s engagement and wellbeing. The biggest influence on an employee's experience is the manager.
In a World Poll by Gallup during 2020, it was found that employees in Canada and the U.S. are comparatively more engaged than other regions at 34% vs 20% global average. This could be due to the value we in North America place on work and how managers responded to the changes by increasing communication and support with remote employees.
However, the wellbeing of North Americans is much too low. The State of the Global Workplace reports stress levels in Canada and the U.S. at 57% vs 43% global average. When there is an imbalance between engagement (higher) and wellbeing (lower), it leads to burnout. This is the tension we held through the pandemic and now when the fog is starting to lift, we can’t just snap out of it. Ongoing, more emphasis is needed on wellbeing and mental health to respond to the aftermath of a stressful year and an increasing desire for work / life balance. We don’t only want our employees to be engaged, but we want them to thrive. This involves a holistic approach to your employee as a person with physical, social and financial needs.
The four needs of followers are Trust, Compassion, Stability, and Hope. When workers were sent home, managers that made an effort to communicate with transparency, vulnerability, and respect and accommodated employee’s circumstances fed these needs. When shifting back to a hybrid model or in-person work, managers can continue to feed these needs by having regular check-ins with each employee. This means weekly, private discussions in which you ask your employee how they are doing, what they need to do their job and reinforce their value to the team. Gallup emphasizes, “the lesson here is that leaders really can see substantial gains in engagement and productivity by simply providing greater support and meaningful feedback to their people.” A great way to build awareness and understanding of what your employee’s need, what they contribute and how they work best is by having their CliftonStrengths® profile.
The time is ripe for change and the workforce will demand it. Leaders can make positive steps towards thriving, strengths-based cultures when they intentionally recognize and invest in the needs of their employees.