This week’s lesson in leadership is giving to get. That is a great lesson for everyone to learn and it is an important topic to talk about at the start of the giving season. As a leader, you have to meet the needs of your employees so that they can meet your needs. You should always want to meet your employee’s needs so that you can retain good talent in your workforce. People need to feel appreciated, represented, and respected to thrive and give their best effort at work.
Leaders who are aware of employee needs can help develop a strong team of motivated, goal-oriented individuals. Looking at our workforce generationally, gone are the days of employees working the same job for decades and giving 110% based on principal rather than good working conditions or incentives. Our global workforce is becoming more and more liberated and independent. This is great for employees because it has pushed our companies to provide more pay equality, better benefits, and more time off. These factors all contribute to better and more dedicated workers.
From a leadership perspective, it can be harder to motivate employees in this changing work environment. Millennials now make up a significant portion of the workforce. That generation places very little significance on being loyal to a workplace that does not value them. They need a lot of positive feedback and prioritize companies with a good corporate culture. This is very different from the needs of older generations and will likely be different from the generation beneath them as well.
To be an employer who meets the needs of his or her employees, you must educate yourself on what those needs are. What your Gen X middle manager and your Gen Z receptionist need from you as an employer will be wildly different. There are always overarching needs that every employee appreciates, but we are working in a multigenerational workforce and it is important to understand what your employees of many different age groups need from you to be successful. Even small things like the way in which you provide feedback should vary. For instance, employees from the Baby Boomer generation generally prefer direct, in-person feedback. Sending an email evaluation to these employees will not always adequately communicate the intended message because it is not the communication channel in which that person thrives. On the other hand, Millennials and Gen Z would rather die than receive negative feedback in person. For those employees, a clearly written email is a strong preference. Handling either situation in the opposite way can put that employee in major distress. Distressed employees are unproductive employees.
There are endless examples of ways that you as a leader can give back to your employees. Too often in companies, we lead with the idea that employees must first prove themselves to receive incentives. Leveled up incentives like promotions, raises, or accrued time off can keep employees motivated. However, this does not mean that employees need to start with little or nothing until they have proved their worth. Investing in your employees early on can inspire productivity and loyalty, and it can make your employees more willing to put in the extra effort. At the end of the day, giving to your employees and meeting their needs makes your overall working environment better. Do not view employee incentives as a give and take. Recognize that helping your employees ultimately helps you.
-Bria