Soaring unemployment rates and decreased business value creates a sense of urgency and haste among businesses worldwide. There is urgency to innovate, haste to sell, but where are the employees left in this chaotic mess of economic trade? As the working population clings to the hope that the days of recessionary woe will soon end, what should be done to keep them productive now? By understanding the needs of employee's, communicating clearly based on those needs, and keeping people engaged, business leaders can create a more productive company from its foundation.
While business was created for the purpose of monetary benefit, corporations need to remember that without employees, businesses would cease to exist. Although products and campaigns need to be nurtured, so do the people who endorse them.
Sylvia Ann Hewlett reveals startling research pertaining to employees of today's economy in her article "Nurturing Talent in a Forbidding Economy." Her article notes that 14 percent of college graduates lost their jobs between June 2008 and January 2009, and 68 percent of those voluntarily left their jobs". The article also mentions statistics gained from a Hidden Brain Drain strategy session. Of those participants, 64 percent were considering leaving, and 24 percent were actively searching for another job. The majority of participants who had chosen to stay in their current positions, 74 percent, felt "paralyzed" in their job, 73 percent felt demoralized, and 64 percent felt unmotivated.
The sooner managers realize that their success is dependent upon the well-being of their workers, the sooner businesses can flourish despite the economy. There are hundreds of ways that management can nurture employees back to productivity. The only question is which method will be most effective for each specific group of employees? Employee assessments are a tool managers can use to better educate themselves about their employees. Assessments highlight core behavioral traits that managers can then incorporate into their nurturing efforts.
By understanding employees' behavioral traits, managers can determine the best way to communicate to their teams. In a crisis situation, one of the first steps taken is the creation of a communication team. This team is responsible for making sure that every line of communication is checked and re-checked. Managers should mirror the objective of the crisis communication team. They should also thoroughly communicate with their employees in a way that mirrors what the employee's behavioral traits require in order to be effective. Leaving issues left to assumption is never a positive communication practice, and doing so will further discourage employees.
Each employee will require a unique work load in order to keep them sustained and nurtured. Levels of education, learning index, and aptitude will differ among individual employees and will help determine how much work each employee can manage. The variation of these attributes can be better understood with the use of employee assessments. Balance is the key to keeping employees engaged and productive. Each employee should be regarded as an individual but important part of a cohesive team. Keeping this in mind will allow managers to better delegate assignments to the individuals and maximize productivity.
There is no perfect solution, or rule book for managers about how to keep employees nurtured during this difficult time, but assessments will help clarify some important leadership decisions. Managers that understand their team members will have an advantage in their problem solving methods, and their communication strategies. Nurtured talent will create a thriving business, and a thriving business will endure this recession.
Jim Sirbasku is co-founder and CEO of Profiles International, a leading provider of human resource management solutions and employment assessments for businesses worldwide.
