Why Don't My Employees Care About the Business Like I Do?

It is an age old dilemma, “my employees don’t  care like I do”.  You have two choices you can stop growing or figure it out.

There is a lot of research coming out now that says GEN-Z is the problem.

-          They don’t want to work.

-          They don’t know how to work.

-          They’re snowflakes

-          We could go on.

The reality is employees have always needed to have meaning in their work [1] [2] . Way back in the day it was developing a craft working alongside the master. As we moved into factory work with it’s mind numbing repetition it was perhaps the better life they could provide their family. Today employees  have a lot of needs met. Most won’t starve. How do we inspire them?

With meaning and purpose. Let’s look at the military for a second shall we. Many in our armed forces join because they don’t see another path forward. And yet through training, culture, a sense of mission we have 25 year olds running nuclear engines  on carriers!

What is it that they’ve learned that you can learn?

1.      Give new employees an orientation. This does not need to be a six-month boot camp but it does have to start the assimilation process. The first two companies I sold for each had a 90-day orientation process.  It made a difference in the culture and ease of leadership. Everyone knew what was expected.

2.      Training, people need to know your firm, it’s customers and how they contribute to the success of that relationship. This is probably more than just reading a manual.

3.      A communication cadence, that is a regularly scheduled set of communications to drive  alignment and accountability.  This should be more frequent at the beginning of employment.

4.      The role of the leader or leader of leaders. If you don’t have time to mentor, train, check-in and coach then guess what all of this frustration is your fault.

5.      A way forward. How can you develop a path for your employees to move forward with new learning, new skills and development? I know one patient account manager that took the time to build 4 levels of patient account rep in the billing office. At each level as they certified they got a small bump in pay , they got recognition and they got a little more autonomy or responsibility.

What will you do? Your employees engagement with your firm is a direct reflection of your leadership.

[1] https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/people%20and%20organizational%20performance/our%20insights/help%20your%20employees%20find%20purpose%20or%20watch%20them%20leave/help-your-employees-find-purpose-or-watch-them-leave.pdf?shouldIndex=false

[2] https://www.inc.com/sarahlynch/why-gen-z-workers-are-consciously-unbossing/91001183