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Help your employees with our training sessions

  • Frits Galle

Organizations have been coping for years with the economic crisis. With lowering demands and small margins, it was crucial to be focused and creative. The focus on productivity also had its effect on the employees who often experienced increased workload en work stress. Looking back most senior management teams are satisfied with the way they sailed through the economic storm. Unfortunately the real damage becomes only visible after the storm.

Some facts:

  • 40 percent of the employees is not satisfied with their job.
  • 53 percent is looking for a job change within the next twelve months.
  • 63 percent is not satisfied with their boss.
  • 15 percent experiences burn-out symptoms.

Lots of employees have been losing ENERGY at work and are not satisfied with their current working conditions. Due to the thriving economy suddenly these employees have other opportunities. During recent years it was normal to receive hundreds of application letters on a vacancy, but currently companies are having difficulties to attract new employees. In some businesses there is even a trend of hiring temp workers to be able to sustain a certain quality level.

Conclusion: employees have more opportunities and choices.

The employees that suffered ENERGY loss due to the increased pressure on productivity, the lack of investment in people development and the continues focus on the negative aspects, are now likely to seize the opportunity and leave the company. Several companies are suddenly facing an increased turnover level.

During the coming years, it will become visible which companies sailed through the economic crisis, without alienating their employees and which companies survived but at the same time lost a part of their human capital.

Retaining employees and creating a environment where employees want to work, was not really on the map the last years, but it is no longer possible to have an arrogant attitude towards employee satisfaction (“just be happy you have a job!”). Employee satisfaction is crucial for the survival of every company.

There is also entering a new generation in the employment-market, a generation that is less focused on having a long term commitment with a company and more focused on the short term benefits at the workplace. A generation that focusses on the balance and more often asks ‘Do I like it here, does this energize me?’.

It is crucial to create a workplace where the fundamental needs of employees are fulfilled. Every employee has the need to be recognized and appreciated. It is time we retire the old belief that your paycheck symbolizes your level of appreciation and that nothing more is needed.

All these developments lead to the following set of questions:

  • Why do customers/clients choose us? What is our market value?
  • Why do our employees want to work here? What is our human value?

It is time that companies focus on BOTH questions and less on Lean, Agile and all those other techniques. These techniques do work, but are often used to force standardization and don’t always make the company a nicer place to work.

Creating a productive an nice working environment does not have to be difficult. Show interest in your employees, talk with them about their work satisfaction and often ask yourself the next question:

‘Will this decision or situation have a positive effect on the energy of our employees?’

If the answer is NO, it will automatically lead to loss of human value. Try to find solutions that create market value and human value! Force yourself to be more creative.

Do you want to increase the motivation, engagement and energy in your company? Do you want to create a winning spirit in your department to leads to high results and happy employees? Do you want to learn how you can fulfill the essential needs of your employees through your management style? Check out this training or contact us for more details.