happy employees in the workplace

Employee Retention

October 24, 2012

michael stowe

Keeping Good Employees

Twin Cities Software Engineers

• 10+ years experience hacking PHP

• Published Author, Speaker, and Consultant

• Developed applications used by the medical field and law enforcement

• Software Engineer at CaringBridge.org (half a million visitors every day)

• Zend Certified PHP 5.3 Software Engineer

.com

@mikegstowe

MIKESTOWE

DISCLAIMER

The purpose of this presentation is not to target any

company or individual, but rather to show common

mistakes and ways to improve employee satisfaction on a

personal level. Stories and examples used are shared in

first person for presentational purposes only and should

not be assumed to be related to a place of previous

employment.

FIRST LET’S LOOK AT SOME STATS

60% OF AMERICANS

WOULD CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CAREER

PARADE/ Yahoo Finance 2012 Poll

27% OF AMERICANS FEEL

YOU GET AHEAD WITH HARD WORK


50% OF AMERICANS FEEL

SAY YOU GET AHEAD BY PLAYING GOOD OFFICE POLITICS


THIS MEANS YOUR WORKERS MAY NOT VALUE HARD WORK OR FEEL LIKE

THEY CAN ADVANCE UNLESS THEY HAVE AN “IN” OR ARE GOOD AT

OFFICE POLITICS…

AND SADLY… IN A LOT OF PLACES

THEY’RE RIGHT

MYTH #1

IT’S NOT PERSONAL… IT’S BUSINESS

IF IT INVOLVES PEOPLE IT’S PERSONAL…

PEOPLE ARE EMOTIONAL

EMOTIONS DICTATE PRODUCTIVITY

HAPPY EMPLOYEES ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND LOYAL. THEY WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE WITHOUT BEING ASKED AND REACH THEIR POTENTIAL

FAR FASTER THAN FORCED EMPLOYEES.

HAPPY EMPLOYEES MAKE THE WORKPLACE ENJOYABLE, HELPING

OTHER EMPLOYEES TO ENJOY THEIR WORK AS WELL, IN ESSENCE

CREATING MORE HAPPY EMPLOYEES

HAPPY EMPLOYEES DON’T LEAVE…

HAPPY EMPLOYEES DON’T LEAVE…

The cost to replace an employee has been estimated to be 150% of their salary! In California, to replace a customer service representative making $18,000 the average cost was $58,000

http://management.about.com/cs/people/a/WhatPeopleCost.htm

SO WHAT MAKES EMPLOYEES HAPPY?


• Job Security 63% • Opportunities to use skills 62% • Financial Stability of Organization 55% • Relationship with immediate supervisor 55% • Compensation/ Pay 54% • Communication 53% • Benefits 53%


• The work they’re doing 53% • Independence 52% • Recognition 49% • Work environment safety 48% • Overall culture 46% • Flexibility and Work/ Life balance 38% • Relationships with co-workers 38%

EMPLOYEES VALUE THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, THE WORK THEY DO,

THE ABILITY TO BE INDEPENDENT, AND RECOGNITION MORE THAN

WORKPLACE SAFETY!!!

MYTH #2

EMPLOYEE’S DO THE BARE MINIMUM

EMPLOYEES WANT TO USE THEIR SKILLS AND BE RECOGNIZED IN THE

WORKPLACE. BUT THEY NEED TO FEEL EMPOWERED AND SAFE IN THEIR JOB.

THE LESS YOU TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES, THE LESS THEY FEEL

EMPOWERED TO MAKE DECISIONS, AND THE LESS THEY VALUE THEIR

ROLE ON THE TEAM…

EMPLOYER MISTAKES

• Threatening Job Security • Complaining about Compensation • Complaining about Job Performance • Telling Employees HOW to do their Job • Not recognizing employees • Not recognizing individuality • Playing office politics

THREATENING JOB SECURITY CAN BE THE QUICKEST WAY TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, BUT IS ALSO THE QUICKEST WAY TO AGGREVATE AN

EMPLOYEE AND CAUSE THEM TO START LOOKING ELSEWHERE.

COMPLAINING ABOUT COMPENSATION DOES NOTHING OTHER THAN TELL YOUR

EMPLOYEE THEY’RE NOT WORTH IT. EMPLOYEES BASE THEIR VALUE ON

RECOGNITION AND ON THE COMPENSATION OFFERED

FOR THEIR SERVICE.

WHEN DISCUSSING JOB PERFORMANCE AND CHANGES

NEEDED, REMEMBER EVERYONE LIKES OREO’S…

OREO COOKIE CONCEPT:

• Start off by reinforcing the GOOD your employee is doing • Then gently go into the negative aspects that need to be addressed • Then reinforce the positives, leave your employee feeling as though they are not only valued on the team, but as a person

YOU CAN CALL SOMEONE AN IDIOT AND HAVE THEM AGREE WITH A

SMILE IF DONE THE RIGHT WAY…

YOU HIRED YOUR STAFF FOR A REASON, FOR THEIR SKILL SET. CHANCES ARE IF YOU’RE NOT A PROGRAMMER BY TRADE YOU SHOULDN’T BE TELLING YOUR

PROGRAMMERS HOW TO CODE.

LET YOUR STAFF DO WHAT THEY DO BEST… THEIR JOBS.

MANY OWNERS PLAY A HANDS-OFF APPROACH. BE INTIMATE WITH

YOUR STAFF. GET TO KNOW THEM PERSONALLY. FRIENDS LOOK OUT FOR FRIENDS, ENEMIES STAB YOU

IN THE BACK.

RECOGNIZE WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES BRING TO YOUR

COMPANY, BUT WORK WISE AND PERSONALITY WISE. BE QUICK TO PRAISE AND SLOW TO DISCIPLINE.

EMPHASIZE INTER-OFFICE COMMUNICATION AND EQUALITY.

HELP OTHER’S IDENTIFY THE STRENGTHS IN THEIR PEERS AND

FIND WAYS TO COMMUNICATE.

BE INSIGHTFUL AS TO HOW YOUR EMPLOYEES THINK AND THEIR

PERSONALITIES WORK.

MY PROFILE

Possible Strengths:

● Modest and friendly with those he knows. ● Looks for the good in others. ● Compassionate, with a caring and concerned approach. ● Consistent and trustworthy. ● Relaxed about what others may think of him. ● Trusting and tolerant of others' actions. ● Sensitive to the needs of others. ● Enjoys having lots of harmonious relationships. ● Understanding, friendly and warm hearted. ● Honourable and easy going.

MY PROFILE

Possible Weaknesses:

● Seen as rather rigid, inflexible and unbending. ● Seen as a “push-over” by being easily manipulated. ● Finds it difficult to say “no” if relationships are being threatened. ● May not finish everything he starts. ● Masks his true feelings to avoid unpleasantness. ● His steady approach to work may be seen as laziness by some. ● Over-tolerant of others' inability to perform. ● Puts too much effort into ensuring everyone's comfort.

AVOID FALLING INTO THE TRAP OF AGREEING WITH FRIENDS AND DISMISSING OTHERS BASED ON

PAST HISTORY. EVERYONE SHOULD FEEL VALUED ALL THE TIME.

AND REMEMBER, YOUR EMPLOYEES PROBABLY DON’T WANT TO BE

THERE. ENVIRONMENT IS EVERYTHING.

EVENTUALLY YOUR EMPLOYEES WILL START LOOKING AT THE

GRASS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE… ARE YOU COMPETING TO KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES HAPPY?

MYTH #2

YOUR EMPLOYEE’S WORK FOR YOU

EMPLOYEES ARE SELF INTERESTED AND WORK TO PRESERVE AND

BENEFIT THEMSELVES. A SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYER IS THE

BENEFICIARY OF THEIR EMPLOYEE’S TALENTS.

EMPLOYEES ARE LOYAL TO THOSE THEY TRUST AND WHO THEY FEEL

ARE LOYAL TO THEM. THEY RESPOND TO THOSE WHO HAVE

INVESTED AND PROTECTED THEM.

BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THAT INVESTMENT, INCLUDING

GROWTH WITHIN THE COMPANY. OTHERWISE YOU’LL SEE YOUR

INVESTMENT SITTING AT ONE OF YOUR COMPETITOR’S DESK.

QUESTIONS? @mikegstowe

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