Q. I am part of the HR team in a large retail organization where we recently had a 360 degree appraisal review. The results of the appraisal showed a lot of negative feedback which I feel is due to a disconnect between what our employees feel about the company and what the management wants them to feel. How can we bridge this gap and show that we care? – Lorna M., Hiring Manager A.
Hi Lorna, the issue you highlighted is indeed something many employers are facing, so thank you for asking this question. This kind of disconnect is something that large corporations with tall structures are increasingly suffering. Identifying this problem and giving it due attention shows that you know how detrimental and costly a disgruntled employee can be.
By making sure you have the right policies in place you too can let your employees know that you truly care for them. Here is a three-step plan to help you show your employees that you truly care:
1. Be There:
‘Being there’ translates into being present for your employees and caring for them. Whether it’s by giving them the recognition they deserve upon achieving a particularly difficult target, or identifying a gap in their skillset and offering them training opportunities. The Bayt.com Happiness and Wellbeing in the MENA Survey, July 2013, showed that receiving recognition at work is the number one factor MENA professionals claim to be important to their professional life and one that has a direct impact on their happiness and wellbeing. According to the Bayt.com Millennials in the MENA Survey, February 2014, 28% of the millennial workforce (i.e. professionals younger than 35 years old) prefers an open and positive work culture. A positive work culture is one in which employees are happy, motivated and challenged, and where they can express themselves openly to decision makers who are humble and approachable. Organizations need to create a healthy and stress-free work environment that, in turn, will boost employee morale.
2. Be Noticed:
Once you have worked hard and established the right policies and behaviors to encourage a positive work culture, you need to make sure the same is communicated publically. Showcase your work culture through photos of your team, but also through videos, and testimonials on your corporate website and social media pages. A recent Bayt.com poll on Employer Branding in the MENA shows that nine in 10 professionals research a company online before considering its job opportunities. The poll shows what jobseekers would like to see is a description of the company’s activities: video of its corporate culture, but also testimonials from clients and employees and company awards.
3. Be Active:
The tendency with most companies once they have sent out internal feedback surveys is to just stand back and take in the results. Do not be passive. Actively seek out to engage with your employees. Ask them for suggestions on changes and work with them to implement these changes. Being active is to keep up this process on an ongoing basis, and not leave it as a onetime event. Aiming to be a caring employer and great place to work is indeed a lofty goal and requires consistent direction and efforts from all departments within an organization. Bayt.com is proud to be awarded for the fourth time by the Great Place to Work™ Institute as one of the Top 10 places to work in the UAE. Employers of choice are not only good at retaining talent and achieving a lower turnover rate, but also attracting the best people in the job market. In fact, nine in 10 professionals in the Middle East and North Africa region feel that companies should promote themselves to jobseekers as employers of choice (according to the Bayt.com Employer Branding in the MENA poll, February 2014).
Do you advertise yourself as an employer of choice to prospective talent? Share with us what you do to in order to be perceived as a great place to work in the comments section below.
