Making your employees feel valued should be a strategy, not another cliché | #hrmanagement #hrexecutive

Business is more than the bottom line and profitability. Far too often, businesses of all sizes strive to achieve short term financial efficacy over creating a healthy and sustainable work environment. Yes, pushing the limits of employee productivity and efficiency may boost your immediate success, but a content and motivated individual will contribute significantly more in the long term. Some leaders may not see the power of proactively investing in their employees or making more effort to make them feel valued, so this article will outline why they should.

Where employers go wrong

Every job advert has a section on company perks and employee rewards, creating a sense of excitement for every potential candidate. Unfortunately, no number of perks and a competitive salary can hide or sweeten an unhealthy work environment. Employers who are only concerned about filling a position to maintain business operations, whilst ignoring the wants and needs of the individual filling the role are setting themselves up for failure. 
It is this lack of forward thinking that can restrain a business from achieving organic growth and employees should be at the centre of that forward thinking.

The power of a valued employee

A valued employee is optimistic about turning up to work in the morning. This, in turn, improves the quality of their work and, if their workload is manageable, will increase their productivity. A valued employee interacts more effectively with their colleagues and contributes more to the team. A valued employee genuinely cares about the success of the business – this is a fact that cannot be understated.
A collective of valued employees is perhaps the most valuable asset any business can have. High employee turnover can dramatically disrupt business proceedings  and indefinitely obstruct a business from achieving its potential. Therefore, motivated and satisfied employees who can envision their development within a healthy work environment will ultimately drive a business to success for the right reasons.

How can you make employees feel valued?

The key to making employees feel valued doesn’t have to start with remuneration. Open communication and insight into different areas of a business can make employees understand their contribution to the overall team effort. Furthermore, clear and realistic targets can help to motivate employees and adequate recognition of achieving those targets will ensure continued drive and motivation.
Money, in the form of bonuses or salary, can be an important factor in a wider strategy to ensure employees feel valued. However, money can also be an indirect influence on motivation and satisfaction in a work environment. Take business travel for example, if a company is too focused on cost-cutting and opts for the cheapest travel and accommodation options, employees may feel undervalued which will impact their performance. On the other hand, booking a premium serviced apartment for a business trip to London over the cheapest hotel room is a good way to support an employee on their travels, which will ultimately improve the quality of their work whilst out of the office.  
The importance of focusing on employee development alongside busines growth cannot be understated either. Developing and promoting existing staff will support business growth as new senior positions open up. More importantly, a real opportunity for progression can be a great way to make employees feel valued and driven.

Photo by Kylie Haulk on Unsplash