This might be a super simple idea, but in the business world, employees are often overlooked. Organizations start answering to the Board of Directors and shareholders and lose sight of their people.

Your employees. They are your greatest resource. Are you utilizing them to their fullest potential? How often do you check in with them to see if they are engaged? Are you treating your employees as well as you treat your customers?

Let’s remember the value of employee surveys to measure these items. Often, there is a disconnect between what senior leaders think is going on and what is actually going on in their organization. Are leaders really tuned in to what is happening day-to-day “on the ground”?

Why care about your employees?

#1) Because we are all human beings and we want to be treated like human beings at work and not like robots or pencil pushers. Your employees want to be seen for their true selves. They want to be treated like adults. They want to be heard, feel valued, secure, and supported.

#2) Because it is confirmed that employee engagement is an important predictor of company performance. Caring about your people (increased employee engagement) directly correlates with positive company performance.

#3) Employees who are engaged in their work have a happier home life. They have better moods and better life satisfaction.

#4) Maintaining a stressful workplace culture leads to disengagement over the long term and is also the cause of high health care expenditures (nearly 50% greater than other organizations). Organizations are hurting themselves in multiple ways by maintaining stressful cultures: cut-throat environment, culture of fear, not being inclusive or compassionate, fostering a culture of distrust.

#5) Disengagement and lack of loyalty are costly to the organization: higher turnover, higher absenteeism, employee health issues, etc.

How can you care more?

Make it a point to care for and support all colleagues. Foster a culture of social connection.

Treat one another with respect, gratitude, trust and integrity.

Be compassionate, kind, and empathetic.

Be unapologetic about maintaining your positive company culture. Depending on the situation, either try to develop those that are not living true to the positive culture you want to uphold or let them go. Either way, it is crucial to take action immediately. One undermining person can be detrimental to the organization.

Invest in leadership coaching and culture transformation consulting.