Last week I was talking with a friend who was celebrating, or at the very least – remembering, the fact that a certain day that week marked his 10th year on the job.
A decade or two ago, it was commonplace to have the same job for 10 years. In the decades of my parents’ work life, 25 or more years wasn’t unusual at one job.
Recent research indicates that people entering the workforce will have as many as 30 jobs during their lifetime. Meanwhile, some of today’s employers are often heard lamenting the attitude of the supposedly uncaring young people they employ, not realizing that their actions often provoke the attitude they perceive.
The “all corporations are evil” folks will likely be quick to paint all employers with this uncaring brush, but that would be intellectually dishonest. While some fit that mold, numerous large businesses treat their employees as if they’re critical to accomplishing their mission. You already know their names.
To be sure, some companies struggle with ethical, accountable behavior. When businesses hit rough times, some organizations will have employees who continue to show loyalty and deliver quality work. Guess which ones? The rest may look like a rodent-infested, Renaissance-era sailing ship slipping below the water – people won’t be able to leave fast enough. But they will, because their management will have made it so it just isn’t worth it anymore.
Is that really what this birthday thing is about? Of course not. It’s about common courtesy. Remember that?
Little Things
As we talked more about his work anniversary day, he told me that no one at his employer remembered.
Who would after 10 years? After all, it’s not a big deal…unless you’re that employee.
Keep in mind that:
- Someone who feels valued, even by the smallest of occasional gestures, will think nothing of doing a little extra when asked. Sometimes even when not asked. Remember, they’re the front line between you and your customers more often than not.
- Someone who feels like they are just another brick in the wall tends to be made to feel that way over time. Little signals like the anniversary thing send the message that staffers are taken for granted are received, perhaps intermittently, but they continue to arrive.
For most adults, work is more than a paycheck. It’s part of who we are. If it isn’t for someone on your staff, ask yourself how that adult came to feel that way about their work.
What you are vs. who you are
Sometimes the little things people do to recognize events like this 10 year anniversary are the ones that remind them that they’re more than a “(whatever you do/make/create/repair)”.
Imagine the conversation I would’ve had with that person if their general manager, regional manager or (gasp) the home office sent the guy a hand written note. Two minutes to write it. What message does that send?
Imagine the value of a phone call or an off-location cup of coffee with an employee who has seen your business change and adapt over the last 10 years. Remember the year. This particular anniversary means the hire happened just after 9/11, when very few were hiring.
Any number of small things could have been done. A small “10” on a new name tag. A name badge that’s a different color, with “10 years” on it. A custom fitted company ball cap with “10 years” across the back.
Perhaps something as inexpensive and priceless as a handshake and a sincere “Thank you”.
How difficult?
How difficult and expensive would it be to put every new hire’s start date into a private-to-your-business Google calendar? Hark, I hear the cries of privacy advocates, so talk to your HR folks before making this egregious error (that was sarcasm, mostly). That Google calendar will automatically email or text you to remind you of each date.
Your work is almost done, but keep in mind that your Google calendar can’t put meaning into that handshake.
You have to do that.
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