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Meaningful Roles Mean Better Business
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Scott McArthur
Scott McArthur is a Management Consultant (Atos Consulting), public speaker and writer on HR and people development. He has delivered learning events and speaking engagements in Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, China and the USA.
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September 16, 2009
I was asked the other day by a senior colleague of mine how we could improve morale in one of our client organizations. The answer was easy – make them happier. There is a very simple secret to long-term employee loyalty and retention which isn’t money, perks, stock options or even expense accounts (unless you are a British MP that is). It’s giving them meaningful roles.
This is no idealistic notion rather a basic condition of human behavior and psychology that many leaders often forget: people are driven as much or more by intrinsic meaning as they are by extrinsic rewards.
Look around your social circle and you will notice that some of your brightest friends are earning a fraction of what they could be earning in a different job. If you are a rant reader it is unlikely that your friends are just stupid rather they are in those roles because they provide fulfillment and a sense of meaning beyond the job. Another great example? Go to a Pret store for your lunch and just and talk to a member of staff. Now compare that to the average employee at 95 percent of other “fast food” establishments. Enough said. In life, people make the “love or money” trade-off all the time.
What can businesses do to minimize this trade-off? It comes down to balancing the intrinsic with the extrinsic rewards. The former is the heart and soul of an organization and a person’s reason for working there. The latter is the practical mind and wallet. Here are four ideas (after Anthony Tjan) designed to unlock the secret of long-term employee loyalty:
Help create a meaningful roles. Ask in an interview what they would be doing if they had all the money they needed; explain and remind the employee why the role is critical and how it fits into the bigger picture. This is the foundation and most critical component of long-term retention;
Give feedback. Do so regularly, with both honesty and thoughtfulness;
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Offer and deliver professional development. Keep their larger career path in mind; ask what they want most to learn. People want to know where they are heading and that you care in helping them get there;
Say thank you. This means both intrinsic and extrinsic recognition — that is, reaffirm your appreciation for their role (a simple hand-written note or verbal thanks from time to time goes a long way) and pay them fairly.
Whilst not the whole answer nor a particularly new concept recognizing the importance of creating a positive workplace remains important. Striving to create a clear connection between the values and aspirations of both business and employee is as good a starting point as any in changing organizational performance for the better.
