Icing on the Cake: Recognizing Employees Their Way
We have been talking about the growing disconnect between companies and their workers. We decided to ask professionals around the country about their work experiences post-pandemic over the past few years. As we all embrace the new ways of work, some talked about the welcomed change to remote or hybrid work while others were glad to be back in the office. But the conversation quickly turned to what was missing from their career. This wasn’t just a job to them, they were searching for something more. Some talked about the lack of respect or sense of culture, while others want higher pay and flexibility. What else was missing from their work experience? First, let’s start with a story.
Greg*, a Director in the Media industry, spoke with Conversate about spending the last few years going above and beyond at work. His goal was to get to the next level of his career. He worked nights and weekends, focused on client service, and successfully lead his team through one of the most challenging times in the company’s history. He ended up winning three industry awards for his work that year. His clients praised him. His team looked up to him. And his manager thanked him. Yet, he couldn’t be more disappointed.
What went wrong?
Greg came into the office one day and his manager surprised him with cupcakes.
“I just wanted to be recognized by my leaders and compensated for my work. I didn’t even know if I would get my bonus that year and I just got cupcakes?” he explained.
And Greg wasn’t the only one. In another interview, an HR Director states, “I feel valued by the employees I work with, but not by the company or its leaders.”
There are good managers and then there are great leaders. There is something different when someone can come into a room and get a team, department, division, or the whole company to follow their vision. So what is it about great leaders that really makes the difference?
When workers talked about their connection to their work, or mainly their lack thereof, the missing link was a transformational leader. You have likely been around someone like that before. Someone who everyone respects when they walk into the room. A leader who knows employees by name and asks how they are doing, always remembering details about them. It is someone who listens just as much as, if not more than, they talk. Great leaders bring people along with them to solve the most challenging problems, recognizes their contributions, and ensures everyone feels part of the journey.
The lack of connection to our work today isn’t about employee perks or salary, it has to do with the human spirit and aspiring to be a better leader tomorrow than we are today. As humans, we all need a reason to believe, hope for the future, and a sense of working together on something bigger than ourselves. Here’s what workers across the U.S. had to say about their leaders now:
“The nameless, faceless leadership that doesn’t know me is where I don’t feel valued.”
“I feel like a cog on a wheel, but I know my manager sometimes cares about me.”
“I used to be on a team and now I’m feeling like I lost the connection.”
“I don’t trust the leadership at my company because they treat employees poorly. They didn’t even give my boss bereavement when her son passed away.”
“I feel undervalued because my position always gets dumped on by clients, managers, and leaders.”
So what should Greg’s manager have done? Knowing how each individual on the team likes to be recognized at work would be a good first step. A transformational leader knows that giving a little more thought and effort into recognizing employees can grow trust and strengthen relationships. If you need to refresh your skills or bring new ideas to your team, Conversate Labs can facilitate listening sessions, message testing or leadership workshops. Wouldn’t that just be icing on the cake?
*Note: name has been changed for participant privacy. 