Does Your Company Culture Promote These Workplace Woes?

Group of young business people in smart casual wear working together in creative office

 

Despite the latest technology, top-of-the-line amenities, and flex scheduling policies, today’s workplaces are riddled with issues like stress and burnout. In fact, according to a 2018 Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees, 23% reported feeling burned out at work “very often” or “always.” An additional 44% reported feeling burned out “sometimes.”

That’s a lot of burnout! And that’s not the only workplace woe modern managers have to tackle head on. Four other common ones include:

#1: Boredom and lack of engagement

When employees are less-than-excited to show up to work each day, they’re going to consistently deliver a mediocre performance as a result. That’s a big problem when it comes to productivity.

#2: Under-trained supervisors

A new supervisor might have a strong technical skill set, but if they don’t have equally strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, they’re going to flounder in their new role.

#3: High turnover

When employees are unhappy at work, you’re going to notice a spike in turnover. This isn’t usually reflective of a weak policy or one bad manager; it’s an across-the-board cultural issue that needs to be addressed.

#4: Communication that only comes from upper management

When it comes to communication, employees and leadership at all levels should be involved. However, when communication only flows down, in the form of email blasts and memos, employees are going to feel like just another cog in the wheel, not like a valued part of the team.

That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news. So many of the issues above can be solved through one single tactic: listening to your employees. You can gain invaluable insight by sitting down, face-to-face with them – either individually or as a team – asking questions and listening to their responses.

For instance, questions such as the following can be helpful:

• What do you think about this idea?
• What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing right now?
• What would you differently in the department?
• What can I do to support you and help you to perform optimally in your job?

In addition, by giving them a voice, they’ll feel re-engaged with your team and more vested in company success. When employees get the sense that their opinions matter and they’re encouraged to speak up – because you’re truly willing to listen – they can make the kinds of suggestions that can often lead to meaningful change at your organization.

It’s not a quick fix or a fast process. In fact, it takes time to really get to the root cause of these problems. But it all starts with listening.

Need help hiring while you focus on listening to your team?

The Kansas City recruiters at Morgan Hunter can help. For more than 30 years, we’ve been assisting leading organizations, large and small, source, screen and hire their most important assets: top-quality people. Contact us today to learn more or get started.