Happy Thursday! As we get closed to summer, the time when family vacations exist and there is an attempt to get out and enjoy ourselves. If you are a small business owner or a manager, “getting away” can be a lot easier said than done. Self employment and management is not for the faint of heart. We are often the ones who get paid the least or get the brunt end of the stick – taking the blame for things that are not our fault or being responsible for having “difficult” conversations with colleagues. So why do we do it? For me, it’s personal and professional satisfaction. In my business, customer satisfaction is only high when you have found someone a job or found the perfect fit. This does not happen overnight and it takes a lot of work. However, I keep going because of those clients that email me the following: “Your company offers an invaluable service assisting businesses in finding excellent people for key positions.”
Reflecting on this naturally got me to thinking about how I keep my staff going. They get as much negativity as I do and throwing money at them does not always increase satisfaction. The Jerry Maguire phrase “show me the money” is not that applicable these days. More and more professionals are placing more value on personal and professional job satisfaction. At a time when people might not be able to be as picky as they could in a stronger economy, doing what they love and having the flexibility to have time for hobbies or family seem to now trump a bigger paycheck. So you might ask yourself, “What creates a satisfied and more loyal employee?” In a recent article by Harvey Mackay, he outlined 4 primary reasons that I thought were good enough to share. I have condensed them for the sake of space…
- Professional Development: People who have the ability to learn new skills are far more likely to stick around. It is the top reason that people give for staying with an organization. This learning does not always come in the form of higher education. Smart companies who are watching the bottom line are creating mentoring programs within their walls, pairing experience with ambition and developing employees at all stages of their careers.
- Coaching and Feedback: People want to know how they are doing, what works and what needs improving. Smart managers know that employees want to know that their contributions are being noticed. It is a mistake to make assumptions that employees know how things are going. When employees begin to wonder how they are doing, they begin to think of leaving. Regular meetings don’t take much time and providing feedback is critical to job satisfaction.
- Positive Work Environments: Many people spend as much time at work as they do at home, so employers need to create environments that are as pleasant to work in as possible. Employers also need to implement some fun – nothing elaborate, but a small cake and a card to celebrate someone’s birthday can go a long way! In addition, have a work environment that is flexible and where there is autonomy and trust which makes people feel valued and respected.
- Good Managers: We’ve all heard it – people don’t leave jobs; they leave bosses. A great boss provides all of the above. Think about what happens when great managers leave – often you get an exodus of other talent as well!
In closing, I would encourage you to make sure you are being satisfied on a personal and professional level and also striving to think of ways to have your employees be satisfied as well. Happy people make better workers, bosses, wives, friends etc.
Have a wonderful day,
Carey
We do more than just fill jobs, we create them! 