Bribing employees with benefits to keep them from looking for new jobs is never a good idea, but it’s become so common that companies have stopped thinking about the long-term implications. I’m writing this article because I feel that the best way to retain and recruit the best talent isn’t to bribe your employees into staying, but instead to focus on helping them form an emotional connection to their contribution. If you want more information on how to do this, continue reading!
Every time you hear that story, someone is bribing their employee. Your contribution doesn’t need to be financial to provide a sense of purpose. You can give your employees a sense of purpose by showing them how they are part of something bigger than themselves. When you help people feel part of something bigger than themselves, you build emotional connections with them and then they are less likely leave for greener pastures or change careers completely. If an employee is only staying with a company for the benefits then they have already quit. We have to keep this in mind if we hope to recruit the best talent.
It’s been a long time since I gave anyone an award for merely showing up. It’s even longer since we asked you to put in face time instead of working hard or achieving results. Times have changed, yet that hasn’t kept business leaders from succumbing to the temptation of using rewards as bribery. In other words, people still get paid for what they do, not what they achieve—and it often shows. For example, check out these recent statistics:
• Nearly half of workers feel their employer doesn’t care about them as individuals.
• Only one-third are proud to tell others where they work.
• Less than one-quarter say their company has a positive impact on society.
• Only one in five are likely to recommend their employer as a good place to work.
• Just 12 percent would be willing to pay more for products or services from companies that treat them well, even if it cost them personally.
• Two out of three workers think they’re more likely to get fired than promoted, while only 20 percent think they’ll get rewarded for going above and beyond at work.
Cumulatively these statitics are staggering. The modern workplace is facing a crisis of puprose.
The best companies don’t bribe their employees with bonuses; they help them fall in love with their contribution. But how? One of my favorite ways to foster an emotional connection between an employee and his or her work is through a concept called emotional labor. Simply put, emotional labor refers to all of those things that go into your job that you can’t see on your paycheck, but which make your company run smoothly. It includes everything from being nice to customers (yes, even when they are not) to helping out your coworkers whenever possible. Emotional labor is one of those things that are easy to take for granted—until it isn’t there anymore. That’s why it’s so important for employers to do everything they can not only to recognize it when their employees do it well, but also ensure that everyone feels like he or she has a chance at doing some every day.
Check out the Key to a culturally diverse company: Purpose