How to get employees to be on your side?

[Alfonsoo]

Having seen both positions in a business: the owner and the employees. At least from what I’ve seen there is a underlying attitude of rivalry or having to go against each other. The employees always see the owner as an oppressive figure, they try to steal from the company or outsmart the system and get more. 
On the other side, the owner (sometimes management takes this role) sees the employees as a necessary evil, people to beware of, always worrying of lawsuits, stealing, wasted time, etc. and hating to pay them.

It creates a very dysfunctional dynamic and hostility and resentment from both ends. 
 

Now, of course both got some truth and justification to their side but how can a business create an actually healthy relationship between employee and business? Good benefits and actually fair and good working conditions won’t make much difference cause as long as a bigger incentive comes, the employee will turn against the company. The same goes for the owner, seeing the employees as disposable and replaceable.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Alfonsoo

[SourceCodo]

The type of work will mean everything… 

We talking landscaping? Labor? Software engineering? Market Research? 

[Alfonsoo]

2 hours ago, SourceCodo said:

The type of work will mean everything… 

 

I’ve seen in in the service industry. Hospitals, restaurants, hotels. Also in retail.

[Roy]

One of the best things you can do to boost morale and get employees to like you more is lead by example; which means getting down in the dirt with them once in a while. It doesn't have to happen all the time, but now and then showing you're willing and not "too good" to do grunt work will make them respect you more.

Soldiers fight better when their king is on the field with them.

[LastThursday]

To a degree there will always be a disconnect between employers and employees, because they have opposing needs. 

An employer wants "resources" that it can use to get things done. The employer naturally wants to get things done in the most time and cost efficient way. On the other side the employee wants to get well recompensed for both their time and their skills, but also to be treated well.

The tendency of employers is then to over work and under pay their employees (a.k.a. gaming their employees). The employees' tendency is to under work, constantly ask for more salary, and/or to game the system (steal, smoke breaks etc.) or to simply switch jobs (taking their knowledge with them).

Employers have several tricks up their sleeve to improve things for employees. These could be:

• Improve facilities, such as having kitchens, cafes, good parking, good meeting spaces.
• Improve perks, such as company cars, bonuses, commission payments, pensions contributions.
• HR departments that deal with people-centric non-resource related matters.
• Group activities, such as away days, company parties, team building exercises.
• Only employing people who fit the company "ethos" (e.g. work hard play hard)
• Managers meeting regularly with individuals for that "personal touch"
• 360 reviews and appraisals
• A way for employees to make suggestions on improvements to processes

One powerful way to improve relations with employees is to let them have a say in major decisions and/or to consult them on potential decisions - but this is seldom done, because it means ceding control away from managers.

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by LastThursday

[Alex_R]

There is only 2 things that can make an employee to fully not go in wage-slavery mindset:

 

He respect the person you are

He respect and value your product/project

 

If you want value you need to give value, either by help them in personal development or help them in their careers,  is very simple.

[Alfonsoo]

On 12/20/2022 at 5:43 AM, LastThursday said:

 

• Improve facilities, such as having kitchens, cafes, good parking, good meeting spaces.
• Improve perks, such as company cars, bonuses, commission payments, pensions contributions.
• HR departments that deal with people-centric non-resource related matters.
• Group activities, such as away days, company parties, team building exercises.
• Only employing people who fit the company "ethos" (e.g. work hard play hard)
• Managers meeting regularly with individuals for that "personal touch"
• 360 reviews and appraisals
• A way for employees to make suggestions on improvements to processes

 

And do these actually work? I feel like they sound “prepackaged “ and a bit unthoughtful solutions (maybe because many of these have been hammered in my brain at school). Won’t an employee feel like you’re trying to buy them off?

 

[Alfonsoo]

On 12/31/2022 at 7:04 AM, Alex_R said:

He respect the person you are

He respect and value your product/project

these sound about right, particularly the later. But, I’m guessing you need some minimum baseline level of consciousness from the employee? How can you look for consciousness development in an employee?

[Realms of Wonder]

Inspire them with a vision they believe in, so they come to work for themselves. Center everything in the business in that vision, that "Why"