Why You Should Treat Team Members as People, Not Employees The days of a top-down, one-size-fits all approach to managing a staff are over: Today's workers are looking for personalization, and the better you meet their needs, the more successful your business will be.
By George Deeb
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
I frequently write on the Red Rocket Blog about employee experience and recruiting topics like how to manage a virtual team, the possible benefits of an unlimited vacation day policy and swapping "I" for "we" in corporate communications. After a look at these posts, you might notice a consistent theme: All are employee-friendly policies intended to let staff members cultivate their own identities on the job. Why is this important? Because recruiting and retaining staff is harder than ever, and the more things you do to nurture long-term loyalty, the more your company will thrive and your employees prosper. At the core of this message is learning to treat staff as the people they are, not simply employees.
What is an "employee?"
Merriam-Webster defines this word as "one employed by another, usually for wages or salary and in a position below the executive level" and to me, the key words are "employed" and "below." The latter conveys a feeling that one simply works for the company as a cog in the wheel, and not with the company — on more of an even footing with other colleagues. It's a definition that speaks to hierarchy with employees working "below" layers of management. From the vantage point of a job applicant, that doesn't sound very enticing.
Related: See How New Learning Opportunities Can Drive Employee Retention with This $50 Bundle
What is a "person?"
On the other hand, Merriam-Webster has as one of its many definitions of "person" as "the body of a human being… the personality of a human being," with key words being "personality" and "human." This suggests that all people are different, with varying personalities, interests and drives. What works for one does not necessarily work for another. It follows, then, that the more you cater to an individual's needs, the better they will respond and the longer they will want to stay.
What defines managing employees?
Most of us have been managed as a worker at one point or another. Employees usually have specific job descriptions, are often required to work rigid hours (most likely from a centralized office location) and report to a boss at a higher level. Frequently, these staff members are treated the same, with very little flexibility in what is allowed on the job. Such a system is entirely top-down in its design, with policies set by management.
Why "developing" people is preferable
Essentially the flip side of the above paradigm, developing individuals at work is more bottoms-up in design — in which people can more freely set policies of the company that they feel will best meet their personal needs. Notice that I use the word "develop" here and not "manage," emphasizing that this is a two-way street in which both parties need to be happy with the outcome. This could include letting team members decide which days they work, which hours of the day, from which location and with what preferred vacation days (as long as performance is good). All these factors foster a culture in which ideas are better heard and acted upon.
People simply have different drivers, and the best companies help address them. This, in turn, helps instill long-term loyalty, especially when staff members see their ideas acted upon.
Related: 5 Ways to Successfully Encourage, Empower and Engage Your Team
A suggested vocabulary change
My advice for owners/managers is to consider deleting the word "employee" from a company's internal vocabulary. I much prefer the words "team member" or "associate," as they help put everyone on a more even footing, and let them know they are marching to the same drum in an environment where everyone has each other's backs. Also, consider getting rid of words that could be interpreted as fueling hierarchies or rigidity. Examples might be "boss" or "manager," perhaps opting for a term like "mentor" (while ensuring, of course, that clear reporting lines are maintained).
A better outcome
In my experience, if you implement these concepts and keep consistent with them, team members will leave much less frequently. Less turnover means not wasting time and resources on recruiting. Better still, you will build long-term institutional knowledge among a staff that has increasingly mastered their craft — a win-win for all involved.
Related: Employee Search: How to Hire the Right Fit for Your Business
