Employee happiness is at an all time low and Hiring Managers need to wake up and look at the cost on their bottom line.
In the US alone we are facing a talent deficit of skilled workers to the tune of 50,000,000. Since good people are hard to come by and north of 60% of employees surveyed are claiming to be “unhappy” at work the “Bad Bosses” need to see the light and fast. Those same employees surveyed said if a recruiter contacted them with a better job, with a better boss, more challenging purposeful work and a company they can believe in they would leave in a heart beat.
Bad bosses beware because there is army of recession starved recruiters being paid big bucks to find high quality people and they are coming to yours.
You might be reading this and wondering “Am I a bad boss?”
Here are some signs you might need a breakthrough in the area of leading and managing people.
1. You do not have 1 on 1’s with your direct reports.
2. You are often late to or completely blow off meetings with your people.
3. You practice mushroom management.
4. You create and foster Silo thinking.
5. You personally build alliances with people but create wedges between people on your team.
6. You gossip to employees about other employees.
7. You do not do what you say you will.
8. You gladly accept the credit for ideas your employees come up with.
9. You hire and reward “yes men”.
10. You do not give your employees work that exploits their strengths.
If you see yourself being 3 or more of the list of 10 it might be time to take a 360, hire a coach or do some reflection on how those ways of being are working for you, your team and your bottom line.
Now if you realize you are a Bad Boss and want to turn the corner the list below indicates the top drivers of Employee Engagement.
Employee has confidence in organization’s future (mission / vision)
Employee sees a promising future for one’s self working in the job and with the Manager
Employee experiences that the Manager and the company supports work / life balance
Employee believes and feels that safety is a priority
Employee is excited about one’s work
Employee is confident in company’s senior leaders
Employee is satisfied with the Manager and the company’s methods of recognition
Employee believes the company delivers on it’s promises to customers and stake holders
Employee is satisfied with on-the-job training and support for the role
Employee observes and experiences Management treating employees with respect and dignity
This top 10 list is harder to impact if you work for a mega corporation, and what you can control is yourself and how you chose to manage your people.
What Can You Do To Change?
1. Conduct a personalized one on one interview with each employee, ask tough questions about how your employees experience you in action.
2. Request a 360 be given to your direct reports, colleagues and peers.
3. Read Goldsmith’s book, What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There.
4. Really do Hire a Coach!
5. Find out what you are really good at as a Manager and start doing more of that!
6. Find out what your employee is really good at and give them more of that kind of work.
7. Find our what your employee needs in terms of management, guidance, direction, attention, praise, coaching and make the time to nurture those that you want to keep.
8. Find out how your employee wants to be acknowledged for accomplishments, is it more money, a Starbucks card, a 1/2 day off, a pat on the back or public recognition and then do that.