Employees Are Quitting En Masse. Thoughtful Leaders Can Help Them Stay—It All Begins with One Word: RESPECT
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB…
So sang Aretha Franklin, the celebrated “Queen of Soul,” in her 1967 chart-topping single Respect. A cover of R&B great Otis Redding’s 1965 original, Franklin’s version has played roughly 7 million times on American radio stations since its release. It also served as an anthem for the women’s movement of the late 1960s and 1970s. When asked by a Rolling Stone reporter why her song became such a mega-hit, Franklin pointed to its universality. “Everyone wants respect,” she said.
That “everyone wants respect” holds true today, especially in the workplace. In a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, employees cited “Felt Disrespected at Work” as one of their top reasons for quitting. (It ranked third behind “Pay Was Too Low” and “No Opportunities for Advancement.”) Even if employees don’t actually abandon companies for greener pastures, feeling disrespected can lead to an even more insidious behavior, so-called “Quiet Quitting,” in which workers tune-out mentally and just coast through their day, doing the bare minimum to avoid termination.
On the flip side, giving employees the respect they want—and deserve—is essential for creating a strong, stable, and productive workforce. Even so, this can nonetheless be a challenge for managers, especially in our post-COVID era with so many employees working remotely.
Before continuing with this thread, let’s pause to explore the nature of “respect”; what it means and where it comes from. The Cambridge Dictionary defines respect as, “admiration felt or shown for someone or something you believe has good ideas or qualities.”
Yet, as we all know from our childhood, respect tends to involve far more than just admiration. It often means deference. (As in “Respect your elders.”) It can mean taking care to avoid harm or abuse. (As in “Respect the environment.”) It can also mean treating others with kindness. (As in “Treat others with respect.”)
Of course, in the social sphere, “respect” is often synonymous with “common courtesy.” We say “Please” and “Thank you.” We open doors for others. We let people exit elevators before entering ourselves. Perhaps we give up our bus seats to the visibly pregnant or the elderly.
In the workplace, however, things become more problematic. Even in our enlightened 21st century, there are still those in management who see company structure as a military-like hierarchy, with “superior officers” at the top of the command pyramid and “foot soldiers” at the bottom, the latter expected to do what they are told and “respect authority.”
But as disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing Great Resignation have recently demonstrated, companies need their employees just as much as employees need their jobs. Respect, therefore, must be a two-way street.
So, how can astute managers and company leaders show workers the respect they require to stay on the job and meet company goals?
Here are some key suggestions:
Ask workers for their input and feedback before implementing new policies or solutions.
Openly give credit to individuals for outstanding performance.
Don’t berate or belittle workers, especially in front of others.
Take critical steps to ensure your work environment is free of gender, sexual, racial, religious, or age-based hostilities.
Acknowledge that workers have lives outside the workplace. Also, when possible, adjust to accommodate important things, such as doctor’s appointments, bereavement, childcare requirements, etc.
When possible and appropriate, treat workers to catered lunches, celebrating birthdays and work anniversaries, and stage team retreats.
Certainly, these are all tried and true techniques for showing respect in the workplace. But what if your company has embraced remote working? How might you ensure your workers feel respected—and valued—even when they are physically dozens—even hundreds of miles away?
Managers or leaders should do the following:
Check in with remote workers via video link on a regular scheduled basis. Ostensibly, the objective here is to ensure workers understand their objectives, possess the tools needed to succeed, and assist as necessary. Such meetings should be quick and to the point—again, to respect the employee’s time. (I emphasize the need to schedule such check-ins to avoid interrupting workflows and/or making remote workers feel they’re being micromanaged.)
Validate and praise your remote workers’ progress in both private and team settings, not only to acknowledge a job well done, but also to recognize successful milestones achieved along the way. (Giving remote workers the chance to praise one another can be another great ego-booster.)
Reward remote workers with tangible items to alleviate the sense of isolation that often accrues with remote employment. (For example, sending a birthday cake to a worker’s home or sending flowers on a work anniversary can make an employee feel “seen” and thus respected.)
Invite remote workers to sit in on appropriate senior staff Zoom meetings and acknowledge their successes to company leadership. (This is yet another way to make remote workers feel both valued and part of a larger team.)
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Ultimately, showing respect isn’t just good for business. It’s the right thing to do. Respect has always been a sign of good character, which makes it as essential to a functioning workplace as it is at home or in society at large. For more insights into how to make your company culture one of both high integrity and respect, please contact me at laura@conoverconsulting.com.