Employers all over the world talk about how important it is to keep employees, and especially good employees. When you’re in a competitive market, and dealing with global competitors, every little advantage matters. And no advantage is more significant than your own team. But in fighting the war for talent, how can you ensure that your own team stays loyal to your company? Some people think it’s just a matter of offering a higher salary, but that only touches on one part of it. In dealing with employees, as in any relationship, loyalty is a two-way street, and you’re going to have to be willing to show your commitment in order to be able to get it. At Kazi, we’ve found that there are a few best practices to work on to improve employee loyalty.

Earn the respect you ask for

In all relationships, people are more likely to give respect in a situation where they feel like they are already respected. Employee loyalty is a form of respect. If you structure your company culture around excessive demands, arbitrary decisions, confusing plans and unresponsive leadership, would you really blame employees for wondering if their loyalty is valued? Good management at the C-Level is the source of so much else going right or wrong in the firm. If you run your company in a way that communicates respect for your employees, you’re that much more likely to inspire it in them

Employee Engagement Matters

As we at Kazi have talked about in previous posts, and as we believe firmly, employee engagement is really crucial to creating the right atmosphere and relationship with your staff. Building best practices around dealing with employee feedback, input and participation helps create a workplace centered on making sure employees understand that their insights and dedication are valued by their employers.

According to Forbes, better employee engagement also establishes a system that helps employees interact with the workplace in ways beyond just performing their day-to-day tasks.

Don’t micromanage

Loyalty is a corollary of respect. And you know what the best way to show employees you don’t respect them is? Micromanagement! As Inc explains in one of their pieces, a lack of trust is often the reason why managers micromanage.

When employees know their bosses are looming over their every move, they know that their own decision capabilities and ideas aren’t valued. This creates a corporate environment in which employees don’t feel comfortable expressing their opinions.

At Kazi, we work extensively on creating ways for employers to understand better their employees’ ideas and approaches. We can help you develop and implement procedures to get useful and respectful feedback from your employees on how they view and understand the work environment, and how to structure it and management behavior.

Be mindful about employee rewards

Bonuses are great, of course. Who doesn’t love more cash? But just equating employee value with more money diminishes the significance of the company culture. What about extra days off? Or equity? How and when rewards are given out, to whom, and why are all very important. And making sure that company signalling around them is clear and reinforced by management behavior is likewise crucial in creating a performance environment in which employees know that their efforts will be rewarded in a transparent and respectful way.  

In all human relationships, we value respect. That’s what commands loyalty. Work is the same. Cultivate and maintain a work environment that demonstrates to your employees that you respect them, and they will be loyal to you. At Kazi, we spend our time thinking about fit between employer and employee, and the point that comes up again and again by employees is making sure that they have a place that their contributions are valued and taken seriously. It might sometimes be a quick solution to push your people to do something they don’t want to do, but it doesn’t last.

Respect is the only thing that ensures loyalty. We can help you build it. If you’re dealing with an HR issue, Kazi can help you out! Drop us a line and we’d be happy to set up a consultation today!