Adopt a Worker-First Mentality and Everyone Benefits

Heather Huhman, Career and Workplace Expert, recently shared some interesting data in Entrepreneur.com – 47 percent of Americans surveyed think business behavior is headed in the wrong direction.

According to Huhman, “Ethical practices play a role.  Employees no longer want to work for a company just for a paycheck.  The survey found that nearly eight out of 10 Americans would take lower pay if they perceived their company makes a positive impact on society and employees’ lives.”

What’s a simple way to make a positive impact on your employees’ lives?  By putting them first, or in other words, by adopting a ‘worker-first’ mentality.  In addition to improving employee’s perceptions about your company, treating employees like your most valuable asset increases engagement, so here are some tips to build a “worker-first” culture:

• Fuel employee growth.  Company growth doesn’t happen without employee growth. Strong leaders know they need to push their teams beyond their self-limiting boundaries.  Action: Help your employees grow by creating detailed action plans for the near and distant future. Take an interest in employees’ objectives and hold them accountable for learning new skills that will help them build the career they want.
• Infuse wellness into the workday.  Leaders cannot have a worker-first mentality unless they are concerned with all aspects oftheir workers, including health.  The importance of prioritizing personal wellness cannot be overstated.  Action: Host wellness-themed events, like interactive seminars focused on daily well-being, team-building retreats, and programs that reward employees for exercising.
• Create a culture of rampant recognition.  Employees go to work every day and try their best, many times encountering difficult clients, customers and situations.  As employees are knocked down, they need to be built back up.  Action: Help your employees stay motivated and engaged by recognizing and rewarding their efforts and accomplishments.  You’d be amazed at the value of a “thank you” that is timely, sincere and specific.

WHAT CAN I DO?  In the words of Sir Richard Branson, “Clients do not come first.  Employees come first.  If you take care of employees, they will take care of clients.”  By creating a worker-first culture, you will ensure the satisfaction of both your employees and your customers – two groups of people who you need to succeed.  Begin implementing some of these ideas today, and your organization’stomorrow will be brighter.

Jill Christensen is an employee engagement expert, best-selling author, and international keynote speaker. She is a 2017 Top 100 Global Employee Engagement Influencer, authored the best-selling book, If Not You, Who? Cracking the Code of Employee Disengagement, and works with the best and brightest global leaders to improve productivity and retention, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth. Jill can be reached at +1.303.999.9224 or  jill@jillchristensenintl.com.