A lot of management is a perception. This often comes about when employees feel that they cannot make decisions but instead just follow orders from the boss. This has also been talked about how managers micro-manage. The employee feels like they are watched at all times. Though there are times to watch and keep employees accountable, it is also beneficial to have employees make decisions and given freedom to do their jobs.

Availability of managers is talked about when employees feel they can never seem to find a manger when needed or that the manager does not listen or have time. Employees want to be able to speak face to face at least some of the time. The employee can also feel that though a manager is available, or has time, the manager is unapproachable. There is a feeling that the manager is bothered by the interruption. The message here is that the employee is not important.

Employees like to work in an organized and clean facility. Whether you hear this or not the employees will notice if the facility is clean. The customers will too. But the employees will take this as a sign that the company does not care how it looks.

Employees want to be treated fairly. They want to know the manager looks at each employee the same in regards to work. Even when employees make mistakes, and maybe especially, the employees want to know that the correction will be the same for all.

So all of this is saying that employees want to be treated with respect and feel that it is recognized by management that they have importance and value.  Not having time, not listening, not being available can easily give the impression that employees don’t matter.  Once employees have the perception that managers don’t care the employees will start to disengage and not care.   It is their reaction to a situation they don’t like.

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From the Front Management Training Program

When the economy is poor the companies are in even more power.  Really where is an employee going to go?  The perception is there are no jobs out there.  But as stated so well in the above article there will be repercussions. But instead of employees leaving let’s talk about when they quit and stay.

If employee disengagement is getting mentioned this is really about employees doing the least or minimum in their jobs.  In other words they are getting by.  It’s not bad enough for termination and it’s not good enough for recognition and praise.  For various reason but mostly because there is now a dis-connect from their manager or company and there is a feeling they are not cared about.  Thus the response becomes quitting, well as much as is possible and still keep the job.

There is a lot of talk happening about employee engagement because it has huge costs.  There are the monetary costs of course but there are also the costs in poor customer service, employees being indifferent or showing frustrations, customers leaving, employees leaving, and yes the company’s reputation.

What the discussions need to start focusing on is the ways to correct this.  This is not and will not be a quick fix.  Nor should it be.  Once the training has been done to the front line managers and the employees are responding with more engagement there must also be an emphasis on the maintenance of the team.

Everything a manager or business does affects the reputation. And employees notice.

As the economy recovers, some members of your team may be on the prowl for other jobs. They may be looking at deep-pocketed competitors who can pay them more.  They may be looking for something different, or they may be tired of hearing  “No”.  But you want to keep these people.  And more pay is not always an option.  We also know pay is a short time motivator.

What can you do?

One of the answers, according to a recent Accenture survey, may be pretty simple: give people flexible work arrangements. Accenture’s recent survey, done in advance of International Women’s Day, found that more than half of executives are dissatisfied with their jobs. Yet 64 percent cited flexible work arrangements as a reason to stay in a job that’s not ideal. There are lots of things we’d like to have in our jobs: high pay, good perks, opportunity for advancement, challenge, great coworkers, praise, plus success at work. But there are also lots of things we’d like in the rest of our lives: the ability to skip the commute on occasion, to work later one day so we can take a Friday off or other day off. A flexible arrangement has a lot of appeal bucks to people — even if they’re working the same amount of hours overall.

Employees need and want to feel supported.  They like attention now and then.  They want their manager to notice the work they do.  They want to feel that what gets done —matters.  This is about the relationship the manager has with the employees.  Employees notice when a manager is never around, or comes in only when something goes wrong.  They are very aware of a manager that is uninvolved.  The reason for this is because they want a manager who is part of the team, one that leads, and one that cares.  The top reason people leave jobs is because of their immediate manager.

So keep those employees you have invested so much in.  And yes there has been a real investment every time an employee is hired.  Ask them what would make the job better.  Get some ideas and it may be just as simple as a flexible work schedule.  Treat them well with the respect they deserve .