Make People Want to Work for You

Date Posted: 07/12/2017

MSW Research’s benchmark study of 1500 employees across different industries discovered that:

“Although there are multiple factors affecting engagement, the personal relationships between a manager and his or her direct reports is the most influential.”

Companies who watch their staff turnover rates increase year after year will agree that had they known and understood the true factors that contribute to staff exits, their approach to continuous development would not only be focused on the rank and file level but also on the mid- and high-levels as well. Let’s have a look at what really makes employees want to work for managers and for companies. Obviously, there are plenty of factors that contribute to making employees CHOOSE to work for and with you. Here we give you the most common ways to be an employee champion:

1. Communication. Keeping information exclusive and lack of openness and transparency leaves employees feeling completely left out and insignificant. Companies and managers who provide clear objectives and open communication create strong cohesiveness bonds between staff across all departments and levels.Engaged employees are employees that love to stick around. In our previous post regarding signs of a disengaged employee, we indicated that lack of communication quickly causes employee disengagement, but the opposite ignites engagement; This includes managers and supervisors giving timely feedback in a constructive manner that encourages and teaches staff ways to improve. Being generous with praise and appreciation of workers for a job well-done is the best way to motivate staff to perform better.Spend time and get to know what makes your staff want to give their best at work, find out what makes them sit up at attention. Be interested in them as people. And listen. Try it and watch how giving a minute of undivided attention a day to an employee transforms the way he/she performs.

   “People will walk thru fire for a leader that’s true and human.”
   – Patrick Lencioni, Author

2. Empowerment. Leaders who lead by permission and not by authority are able to relate well with employees because they have no problem empathizing. They are able to give guidance and support where it’s needed, and aren’t ashamed to roll-up their sleeves and ‘lift’ when an extra hand is needed. But when leaders trust their employees enough to own a project or take the initiative, they allow their authority to rest on potential leaders, thus making employees more willing to produce the best work.
3. Respect. Not enough can be said about companies and managers instilling mutual respect in the workplace. Companies that encourage real-time communication, coaching and continuous employee development are how companies win. Authentic managers who express genuine interest in what employees have to say or in how they feel in situations affecting their work makes employees feel they are treated as humans, not just machines that are devoid of emotion.

Recommended Reading:
The Dale Carnegie Training White Paper ‘Enhancing Employee Engagement: The Role of the Immediate Supervisor’

Workers who feel valued don’t see their managers as slave-drivers who are just in it to make their lives difficult, but as allies that they can rely on and learn from in their quest for career advancement and personal development.

Need help in sourcing top quality staff?  Ikon is here for you!  You can trust Ikon to find the best people for you and be certain that every detail of the hiring process is maximized in finding your ideal candidates.

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