You may not know it but your business may have an unhappy worker problem. A new study has found that 60% of U.S. workers say they are in mediocre or bad jobs.
The research comes from the Lumina Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Omidyar Network and Gallup report. Not Just a Job: New Evidence on the Quality of Work in the United States saw 6,600 people asked what they value, and if they have access to dimensions of quality such as autonomy, opportunities for advancement and job security during a time of historic economic expansion and record-low unemployment rates.
The findings also revealed that 48% say they are satisfied with their ability to change things about their job that they’re unhappy with.
That makes me nervous because we have roughly half who may believe they’re stuck in a bad situation. That presents an opportunity for improvement that you can lead. Consider these tips to help reengage your team:
Use a Stay Interview to Address Your Unhappy Worker Problem
The stay interview represents a smart way to keep your employees engaged. This kind of meeting is different from a performance review or an exit interview. Instead, the focus of a stay interview is employee engagement and retention.
These meetings started because businesses were losing talented employees, who otherwise seemed happy in their jobs. But sometimes happy does not mean fulfilled and that causes some to look for greener pastures.
Have an honest discussion about the good and the not so good parts of the job. Find out if the employee has been suffering in silence with a fixable problem.
Also, are they a good employee who has outgrown a current role? You don’t find out about this problem unless you talk about it.
Uncover the Key Motivators
There are parts of a job that make the job rewarding. Those elements can make the position highly desirable. Do some detective work to uncover some of these motivators.
For some, a bigger paycheck will quickly solve an unhappy worker problem. Others may find motivation from different sources.
For instance, a parent may put a huge value on being able to attend their child’s after school activities. In this case, a flexible work schedule is revealed as a key motivator.
If this seems possible but new to your business, talk through how this kind of schedule will make sure important work gets done and if there are any other considerations that will create a smooth transition.
You don’t want to create a policy and then yank it back a few months later because of problems. Think about potential challenges before you make the change.
Talk About Reality
Sometimes a job is what it is and it can’t be significantly improved, through either compensation or opportunities.
When I worked in TV news, I spent time at several stations. My path through them was similar to a minor league baseball player, in that you’d go to a place, work there for a while, and then leave for a bigger and better opportunity.
While there were many factors involved in getting that next job, I could control my attitude in the current position. I learned that your focus needed to be on doing good work, rather than complaining about the station’s shortcomings. Otherwise, you’d feel stuck and often your performance would suffer.
In your organization, would you rather have an employe who sticks around for a couple of years and shines brightly or someone who spends a decade of disengaged mediocrity on the job?
While you may not dream of serving as a feeder system for a larger business, you might want to spend some time talking about employee career paths and how you can help position them for their next big move.
Simply taking the time to talk about tomorrow might be enough to convince a good employee to stick around a little longer.
You’ll Love Ken Okel as a Keynote Speaker at Your Meeting
