According to a recent Gallup report, only three in ten employees say they are engaged at work. Another five out of ten say they are disengaged, and two out of ten admit to being actively disengaged.
Mark Crowley, author of Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century, uses this analogy to bring these stats to life. “Imagine a crew team out on the Potomac River where three people are rowing their hearts out, five are taking in the scenery, and two are trying to sink the boat.”
Not surprisingly, the million dollar question that folks across the nation are asking is…what is causing 70% of the American workforce to feel anywhere from neutral to completely dissatisfied with their work experience.
According to research and best practice models, there are a number of things company heads do that lead their workforce to say they love their job, plan to stay, and would go above and beyond the call of duty for their organization. Instead of ticking off the complete list, I am going to focus on the one most important thing because it tends to mediate all the others as a sort of super driver of employee satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.
HIRE GOOD LEADERS.
Our research in the senior living industry shows that the happiest community staff members, the ones who say they intend to stay and would gladly recommend their community as a place to work, have bosses who do these things:
- Make themselves approachable
- Show they care
- Keep their door open
- Listen to their employees’ ideas
- Follow through on promises
- Praise and recognize accomplishments
- Provide opportunities for growth
- Keep their employees informed
- Provide useful coaching
I can think of at least two important things these attributes have in common. One is that they are all driven by human kindness. The second is that they don’t cost a penny to implement! If you hire the right bosses for your company and provide an environment that encourages the right behaviors, the extension of human kindness comes easily and is absolutely free.
Are your executive directors, department managers, and front line supervisors extending engagement-fostering service to their staff members? Are they part of an employee-centric culture that encourages such behaviors? Studies show that happy employees give great customer service, and great customer service leads residents and family members to want to stay and recommend their community to others. Everybody benefits.
If you are interested in assessing and improving employee engagement in your communities, contact us today to learn more. Just click “Contact Us” at the upper right hand corner of your screen and send us a message or call 630-237-4138 and ask for Lynn.
