The Case for Treating Companies Like People
The workforce is facing a myriad of issues recently. Companies are dealing with a record number of resignations, a worker shortage, and more and more people choosing to do the bare minimum to collect their paycheck, aka “quiet quitting”. What has become clear is that employees do not have any connection to their workplace anymore, and therefore, are more likely to either find another job or do just enough. Why are we seeing these trends? I would argue that we are not treating our companies like people – not in the ways that truly matter.
Many companies treat employees like replaceable cogs in the corporate machine – using people to do their work while finding ways to minimize the amount of benefits in order to maximize profits. In addition to that, many people know that unemployment could be just around the corner due to layoffs that have become an all-too-common tool for companies to strengthen their bottom line. While these moves may give the bottom line a short-term boost, they have also done extensive damage to people’s trust and care, not only those who depart, but those who remain as well.
The reasons that people have been giving for leaving their positions show how that lack of care leads to resignations. According to Zippia.com, some of the top reasons for leaving a position are low pay, feeling disrespected, lack of child care, lack of benefits, and lack of flexibility. All of these are connected to basic human needs that many companies are not addressing. By ignoring what employees need as human beings, organizations are denying them what they need to feel safe and secure. Without this security, it is not possible for an employee to do their best work. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, security and safety follow immediately after basic needs like food and water. In one of its recent research studies, Gallup found that employees’ belief that that their organization authentically cares about their wellbeing and their trust in leadership are two of the five factors that have a seven-fold impact on their mental health. Without these needs met, no one can perform their best.
So, what can companies do to better meet their employee’s needs? An answer that seems simple on the surface, but is much more complex in practice, is to be more human. We should demand the same things from organizations as we do from family and friends – a basic level of care and security. Removing basic concerns from their lives regarding childcare and healthcare will go a long way in having an employee more focused on their work. Companies that take layoffs off the table whenever possible will see a sense of security grow with their workers. Even seemingly small things like treating ALL employees with respect regardless of the position within the company will go a long way towards creating a workplace where people want to spend the majority of their day. The long-term solution to employee turnover is to act ethically, care about employees, and create an organization that is also a good person.
