Show Your Employees Love

Any modern business leader knows there’s significant truth in the idea that the people in an organization’s workforce are its greatest asset. Understanding that reality and making sure employees know that leadership highly values them, however, are two entirely different challenges. To succeed in today’s hypercompetitive and rapidly changing war for talent, employers must be prepared to let employee satisfaction be a critical driver of companywide business strategy.

Employers that effectively communicate employee appreciation can reap the business rewards. Recent research from employee recognition platform Reward Gateway, for instance, found that nearly half of employees surveyed said they would leave their employer if they didn’t feel their work was actively appreciated. Meanwhile, more than 70% of employees want their leaders to do more to motivate them—and, according to Gallup, the global business world loses more than $7 trillion every year because employees lack motivation.

However, simply gifting workers some chocolates this Valentine’s Day isn’t enough to truly light that fire under employees and show them that their organization loves its workforce. Instead, employees must be convinced that they are the company’s priority from hire, to retire.

Here are a few ways to do that—both in this season of love and year-round:

Embed Employee Appreciation Companywide

Thinking of your employees first can’t be a performative act; it must be ingrained in your policies, your benefits, and your strategies. At Integrity Staffing Solutions, for instance, we have long recognized the value of being an associate-first organization. We know that by providing our associates the benefits they need and the support they want to help them succeed in both their personal and professional lives, we are creating both a satisfied workforce and, in turn, a satisfied client. Ultimately, it all comes down to culture: At every turn and every decision made, is leadership putting employees first?

Personalize Your Approach

While the work to support employee satisfaction must be comprehensive, it can’t neglect the individuality that exists within the workforce. Employees need to know that their unique needs, skills, and contributions are recognized and valued. That requires HR and business leaders to do some deep listening and respond accordingly with benefits and strategies that speak to what will motivate individual employees.

Leverage Tech Strategically

One of the core drivers of the modern employee experience is technology. Employers today must strategically look to tech to power their people work, as employees want a frictionless, seamless experience. At Integrity Staffing Solutions, we understand how tech can help show our candidates and, ultimately, our associates, their value. We aim to make the hiring and onboarding processes, for example, as easy as possible for applicants, showing them that their time matters to us just as much as it does to them. However, while technology can be a powerful driver of EX, it must be used in conjunction with effective human intervention.

Organizations intentionally centering employee satisfaction can ultimately create an environment that all employees will love—and employers will love the business impact!