These days, you can’t look at the news without seeing some way that so-called millennials and other younger generations are ‘ruining’ businesses with their ‘outrageous’ expectations. However, there’s more to it than the younger generations not wanting to work. it’s quite the opposite.
The majority of workers that fall into the millennial category or younger are extremely keen to apply themselves and want to learn new skills in a wide variety of applications. Take a look at the increased use of video learning programmes such as Brilliant, Skillshare and Udemy with video learning available across a huge range of topics.
It’s not hard to see why either. Many companies – both small and large – have been seen not appreciating the value that their employees bring to the company. Even if those employees are the ones doing the majority of the work, there’s always something that employees feel the need to pick on and expect more from. Then it comes back round to employees not being grateful for their work opportunities and expecting something different from their employer, when, all most workers want is to be shown a bit of respect and appreciation for the efforts they have put in.
A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way
Some employers are fully convinced that if they pay their employees a wage, that is all the appreciation they need for their job. However, this can be extremely demoralising to staff, especially those that always apply themselves to the best of their ability daily. While there isn’t an expectation for bosses and company owners to be patting their staff on the back for every little responsibility carried out. There should be the expectation to receive praise when they’ve done something well, if they’ve achieved outside of the norm or if they’ve been a consistent hard worker and it shows.
Encourage Staff Relationships
Occasionally, you’ll find an employee that states they aren’t keen on the job responsibilities or they don’t believe the pay rate is entirely in line with the industry average but they are willing to overlook this aspect because the company morale is high and staff have excellent relationships. Internal relationships can play a huge role in how happy teams are and the closer staff are to each other, the better their relationships can be.
However, relationships don’t form on their own or by sitting in silence for eight hours a day and staff need opportunities to get together and make these team bonds. Consider utilising team-building exercises or a day out of the office where staff can freely socialise and enjoy time together. This relaxed environment makes it easier for relationships to grow and can help staff work more efficiently together. Make a day of it by travelling somewhere interesting like a nearby city or if you are close enough, a capital city that is always on the go and offers plenty of excitement. With an engaging corporate event in London, for example, you can take advantage of good travel links and plenty of places to visit.
Pay Competitively, Not Just What You Think the Work is Worth
Have you done an internal pay review in the last year? Did you complete your job roles truthfully based on what your employees state their responsibilities are or have you simply put job roles together based on what you think the workload is?
A pay review is important as it ensures your company is offering wages that either best or are competitive to the industry. While some employers still hold the mindset that, if someone wants to work for your company, they will accept the wage offered. These days, most companies (unless really niche) are one of many in the immediate area and it’s easy for employees to find a wage that best suits their expectations for their job responsibilities.
Running a business has its ups and downs but if you take care of your staff, they will return it two-fold by managing the day to day responsibilities of your company and showing loyalty. A high turn-over often indicates an unhappy or stressful work environment so make sure to talk to your employees regularly about what could make their work environment a nicer place to be and make sure they feel appreciated!