What makes your employees feel valued and appreciated?

As I was pondering the roots of Labor Day and the plight of today’s union and non union workers I was taken back to a story I heard earlier this week.

Powerfeedback was interviewing healthcare workers and support staff and one particular interview really stood out for me. The woman was in charge of billing for a private physician practice and she was responsible for billing and accounts receivable of several million dollars a year. In her 5 years with the practice none of the physicians nor the office manager ever asked her about her job satisfaction, either directly or by utilizing employee attitude research. As she told me-

“Yeah, its ironic. I hear the manager partner of the practice on the phone with his (car) dealer asking how business is, how his job is going, what’s new at the dealership, and how his family is and yet he never asks me those questions. All he ever wants from me is reports.”

All too many employers have a misconception that in a negative economy they do not need to measure employee attitude and satisfaction. This perception is totally wrong and frankly is dangerous to the future of their business. If you do not know what your employees are thinking, how will you determine which ones need more support and training, understand which of your top performers may be lured away from a competitor, and if the mission you outlined for the company still resonates with them?

Please take the time to listen to your workers. Their insights can make, or break your business…literally!