Don’t sweat it! You can still be an outstanding employer because there’s one thing that matters more to employees than all these perks: self-esteem.
Recently, a friend of mine was invited for a job interview. The company had him complete two tests before they even asked any questions. Later in the interview, he was asked about his degree.
- Humanities – he replied.
- Well, that’s a peculiar breed – came the mocking response.
The test is fine, but the way the interviewer treated him is not. I don’t think an interviewer could afford to humiliate a candidate.
We all remember of some stories when we also treated colleagues or peers bad. We raised our voice, rolled eyes at their nonsenses, smirked smugly, or made sarcastic comments about suggestions to show how smart we were.
Some colleagues don’t perform remarkably, some come up with downright lousy work. Some are not very smart or don’t work hard. Some make big mistakes and some eventually deserve to be fired. Regardless of all this, any colleague or candidate – no matter their performance – deserves to be treated with respect. Eye-rolling, mocking, sarcasm, and ego fight distract the focus from the problem and put the other person in the spotlight and her self-esteem diminishes by the very minute.
Don’t think that your employees feel valued and appreciated because of the salary, benefits, or opportunities they receive. Tangible benefits don’t have this effect. In fact, if you treat them disrespectfully or condescendingly, no reward or career opportunity can restore the bad feeling they have.
My humanities friend summed up his experience quite aptly: “they finally gave me the job, but they didn’t let me be proud of myself”.
The most important thing you can give your employees is not the job itself, but self-esteem. If they make a mistake, warn them privately, focus on how they can learn from it, and they will quickly forget the shame they initially felt. Make a fool of them in front of others, and they will never forget that feeling. They won’t really learn from the mistake because all they remember is how you treated them.
So, next time you’re thinking about how to be a better employer or a manager, remember that the key to your employees’ hearts isn’t just in their paychecks or perks. It’s in how you make them feel about themselves. Give them a chance to self-esteem, and you’ll not only have a happier, more motivated team, but you’ll also create a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. And who knows, you might even find that treating your employees with respect is like giving them a raise without spending a dime.
Improve employee engagement
Our People Management Fundamentals program was designed to support managers in changing their behaviours, work routines and people management habits in those areas that have the highest impact on employee engagement.
