Those of you who are regular readers of this blog will know that I am a great believer in looking after the well-being of your employees – making sure they are engaged, fully skilled, motivated and rewarded – if you want high productivity. In general terms, this was perhaps recognised 10 years ago, but the last decade, and the pandemic in particular, has set things back.
Too many post-pandemic jobs are part of the ‘gig economy’ – with employees on part-time, even ‘zero hours’ contracts. These employees are often doing nothing – and being paid nothing. How an organisation can expect engagement and commitment from such workers is beyond me.
Even ‘proper jobs, with defined hours of work, are too often poorly paid – at or just over the minimum wage. The workers generally have little opportunity to develop their skills or even understand their contribution to the overall process pf the organisation – why does their role matter? why is it important that they perform well?
When did someone last comment on their work and simply say’Thank you’. Simple rewards are often the best.
So, think about the jobs you give people. How can someone get engaged within that role? How can you help that process? What rewards can they expect?
If you treat your employees like ‘process fodder’ (dare I say like human resources instead of people with needs and expectations), then don’t expect commitment and high productivity.