Monday, May 18, 2015

The Now Unavoidable Sea Change

2015 has presented opposition to the phraseology: Employee Engagement. This in backlash to the conglomeration of "vendors" who have taken a well-intended concept and turned it into a transaction. Nothing is sacred, especially when you are an HR services provider.

For this reason, Dr. Brad Shuck and Rodd Wagner are on a mission. Their goal is to present in rational fashion the Behavioral Economics and Statistical Relevance of engaging employees. Call it what you want to... but call it what is specific to YOUR organization. 

Employee Engagement cannot be a commodity because it means something different to every organization. Without properly identifying the holistic purpose of your employees collective existence, you will Kill The Meaning of employee engagement. 

Here's what we do know:
  • People wish to be lead not managed.
  • Trust is the most important benefit you can afford any employee.
  • There is an unwritten social contract in every organization that favors the individual contributor.

     
People drink too much, eat too little, cheat on their spouses and disown their children due to stress at work. This is not an emotional ploy to upset you into being more engaged... it's a fact. When life sucks at work, you take it home with you. 

Your wife may not know you hate your job through the words you say, but you wear it on your liver. Every time we attempt to scare our employees into productivity, a baby puppy dies.... and we all stand aside and let it happen.

Not any more!

The rules of engagement are changing. People care less about money and more about work/life balance. We've seen our parents suffer unnecessary stress enough to make better lives for ourselves. We'd rather our children know their parents than to guilt them into a charade of perfection. Save the big houses, fancy suits and gas guzzling muscle cars. We'd prefer to unplug on a Tuesday afternoon so as not to miss a baseball game with our kids. 



The great Steve Jobs himself commented that he would not hire an employee to tell them what to do.... much to the contrary! 

The Jesuits, Harvard Professors and the boys from Pied Piper share a common goal:

Don't accept yesterday's standards, create tomorrow's possibility!


  
The boomerang of reciprocity has never swung with swifter intent. Personal brands are stronger than company logos and there ARE more job opportunities than qualified candidates. If you are not creating a career path within your organization for your employees they will create their own.

LinkedIn can be used to promote ones organization or to promote ones self... and they work in tandem (regardless of intent). Every Rock Star candidate that you interview checks Glassdoor before they sit with you. Employers are on trial: micro-management and inhumane recruitment practices only hurt company brands. People have more options than you think, and if you don't realize that, your internal talent pool probably sucks!

If you trust your employees to promote your brand they are a 24/7 advocacy firm. The best marketing campaign is word of mouth from employees who love working for you. 

The Great Obi-Won Kenobi taught that the force is most powerful when you submit yourself to it

Your employees are not YOUR employees. They are not property or head count or human capital. 

Companies are no longer in control of the employee life cycle. The one way street is now a 16 lane highway. 

Human Beings Are Not Widgets!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave 

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