SUMMARY: The better you treat your employees, the better they treat your customers. If your brand is doing well it’s time to say thank you to your employees in a meaningful way.
Job satisfaction statistics highlight the fact that happy employees really make a difference in any organization. Those who show up at work with an eagerness to overcome challenges, solve problems, and achieve set goals are the driving force of any business. Unfortunately, at the moment, only a third of the US workforce feels this enthusiastic about their job.
The bad news is that only 46% of employees place “a great deal of trust” in their employers and only 15% of employees worldwide are engaged in their jobs (Gallup).
As it turns out, most companies did a solid job of addressing their employees’ basic needs of safety, stability, and security during the first phase of the COVID-19 crisis. However, those needs are evolving, calling for a more sophisticated approach as organizations enter the next phase.
Too many employers feel that working from home is a great benefit. It isn’t. A lot of jobs take longer when the person you need to reach urgently is out walking the dog. It is harder to find out why emails go unanswered when you cannot stalk over to the non-responder’s desk. No wonder research suggests the working week has stretched by as much as four more hours. Also, some home offices are abysmal.
A sobering 71 percent of workers at home have reported a new or worsening ailment since the outbreak, a global study by the Lenovo tech group showed last month. Fatigue, insomnia, and headaches were common from Brazil to Britain, along with backache and eye problems.
Employers need to think long and hard about rewarding employees for a year filled with anxiety and stress. Good companies will allocate budgets for employee incentives like gift cards or cash. Companies that don’t care will do nothing or send a holiday card.
Yesterday I sent the people I work with a gift box that included a champagne bottle and two crystal wine glasses. Did I have to? No, but I wanted to say thank you for doing a great job and that I care. Too bad, not enough employers feel the same way.
