Quit Happens!
Employees want jobs that are meaningful, fun, utilize their talents, and pay them for their dedication and their expertise. Although money continues to be one of the most important ways of letting employees know their value to the organization, low employee morale continues to plague many organizations, and employees continue to feel devalued and unappreciated. Employees often attribute their low job morale to one or more of the following four reasons:
1. Lack of Communication
Sharing information with employees on an ongoing basis is critical. In many organizations, however, things are either a secret or a crisis. Many organizations continue to withhold critical information, selectively sharing it, sharing it at the last minute, and sometimes not at all. The end result is often a frustrated employee, capable of doing the work with inadequate information to perform. Technological advances allow organizations to keep employees informed regularly and in a timely fashion, but there has to be an investment on the part of senior management to keep the lines of communication open.
2. Lack of Recognition and Appreciation
Positive reinforcement—rewarding behavior we want repeated—really works! In fact, recognition and appreciation have become critically important to the overall success of organizations because employees are increasingly being asked to do and be MORE—more creative, more innovative, more available, more committed to the work, more invested in the team, more, more, more.. . and often for no more money.
3. Lack of Opportunity for Self-Improvement
Self-improvement for employees is crucial because employees want to maintain a certain level of technical skill, such as in data analytics, continuous quality improvement, and strategic planning. Having opportunities for developing their own personal mastery skills—leadership, talent development, self-assessment, etc. which ultimately contributes to their ability to be productive employees is also equally important. Providing lifelong learning opportunities, such as education and training are truly a value-add.
4. Lack of Support for Providing Input into the Decision-making Process
Getting the chance to have input into decisions that may affect their work and impact on their lives seems simple, but it often does not happen. Having mechanisms for input can range from the use of a traditional Suggestion Box to an innovative Anonymous Hotline in order to solicit the ideas and recommendations of employees. Improvement teams may also have merit for soliciting ideas from staff.
Yes, quit happens. So, finding ways to excite people by involving them, informing them, and praising them will continue to be the order of the day, whether virtually or in person, because employees don’t just deliver the goods…they are the goods!