4Cs Blog: Happy Employees = Happy Customers

Most employee surveys are too off the shelf, too short and too impersonal to uncover what’s really going on.

Surveys that brag about being only 10 questions long miss an opportunity to get the details and story’s behind the answers that can often be the most compelling and valuable parts of the whole survey itself. There is a misconception that longer surveys are a waste of time and employees rush to finish them. At Insightlink we know this is not the case and in fact find the opposite to be true. We find that employees like to be asked for their opinions and once they start a survey they finish it 95% of the time.

Open-ended questions give employees the chance to put into their own words what is happening and these stories reveal the truth about what is really going on. The results of an employee survey can sting and cause egos to blow but, if approached with an open mind, they can be a liberating experience where senior management will finally know what the problems are instead of wondering or denying they exist.

We recently heard a story that brought to light how one lie can erode your best retention efforts and send your best employees out the door.

A campus hire at a top tier company was overlooked for a special high profile meeting. When confronted, the employee's manager, who did not have the answer, chose to lie about it instead and explained she was not invited was because she was too new to her role. The employee discovered this was a lie because other new hires who had been in their role even less time had been invited. It was discovered that HR made an error and should have invited this employee and they were indeed sorry. The manager also apologized to the employee but the damage had been done. 

Up until this incident the employee was a dedicated, highly engaged member of the team with an unrivaled performance record. Being lied to her by her manager broke trust and now this employee feels let down…she will forgive but she won’t forget. If she leaves over this incident the company will end up losing a valuable new hire and their investment in hiring and training will be wasted. 

As it happens in most situations like this the employee will move on but what about the manager? What can you do when a manager lies?
In most cases, lies takes place because the manager tries to protect him/herself. The fact that fear drives deception does not excuse it, but complicates matters which is why if a manager lies he/she needs to understand why and what it is they fear so they can address their own issues and avoid harming relationships with the people they work with.

When work becomes toxic it is natural to feel powerless to do anything about it.

You may think because you are not the boss you are stuck but this could not be further from the truth.
You do not need a title to be a leader. In fact every one of us is a leader by virtue of the influence we have over the people we come into contact with. For example you influence your friends, your partner, your neighbors, your children and even your co-workers. As leaders with influence in our own circles, we have more power to influence people than we realize. In the case of a toxic work environment you can use your energy to shift toxic energy into a more positive direction simply by exerting your influence.

Harvard Business Review estimates that nearly 80 percent of employee turnover is directly related to poor hiring decisions. And the price to replace said poor hire, a whopping two-and-a-half times that person’s salary.

 While many pieces go in to the recruiting puzzle — including sourcing, attracting, interviewing, selection, negotiation and hiring — a crucial piece lies in your company’s job page. If you’re not sure if your company’s career page packs a punch, read on to learn how to help your job page stand out to potential candidates.

Ths post marks the end our 10-part series on engaging employees with a focus on the 10th most important driver, and one of the key secrets, to achieving higher levels of employee engagement and improving retention.

Robert Gray, President of Insightlink Communications says that, according to Insightlink’s Survey of the American Workplace, many employees agree their organizations could do a much better job fulfilling their mission, vision and/or values. According to research only 6 out of 10 employees agree that they are fulfilling their mission, vision and/or values suggesting this is an area of reall opportunity.

Mission and vision statements provide purpose, promote shared values, establish behavioral standards and maintain employee focus on organizational strategy and direction. (Mission and vision often used interchangeably.)

About

Recent Posts

Favorite Links