A generation ago, it was common to find people spendingtheir entire career with a single organisation. Post retirement, some even took up a part-time or advisory role with the same company. That kind of long-serving employee has become a rarity. Job hopping is more common. Even leaving a job within a year barely elicits a raised eyebrow. What caused this change? The dominant narrative is that employees are less loyal nowadays. They are not as committed as employees a generation ago.
So, have employees become less loyal? Not really. The previous generation often stuck to a job notonly because of a great sense of loyalty. It was more from a lack of viable alternatives. That made employees view their jobs as a static part of their life. Something they were committed to for a significant length of time. Many more opportunities are available these days. And those opportunities are available to view and apply for at the click of a button. Re-skilling options are plenty and moving to a different line has become easier. Further, relocating to a different city (or country) is much easier and doesn’t involve great planning. So, it’s just become easier to change jobs than it was a generation ago. And that’s true even with the COVID-induced sectoral demand-supply mismatch in jobs. So, if sticking to one job is not loyalty, what is? This article looks at some signs a business leader can use to gauge employee loyalty.
Sign # 1: They are committed
A loyal employee stays with an organization despite knowing about better employment options. Options which pay better or are with a better brand name. Loyal, committed employees continue working because they support your business’ strategy and objectives. They know that over the medium to long term the organization will grow and so will they. Despite better options always being there in the short term. Loyal employees enjoy working with an organization. They keep learning and growing along with the growth of the organization. This is different from employees who stay with an organization because they don’t have options. Or those who are not looking for employment elsewhere since they are in their comfort zone.
Sign #2: They know when and where to add value
Some employees will deliver when asked to. They wait for direction before doing something. The key reason is that the employee doesn’t want to risk doing something wrong. They would rather do nothing, than risk doing something wrong. So, they stay in their comfort zone till they receive explicit instructions to do something. A lack of awareness of strategy, unclear roles and processes or previous bad experiences with taking initiative can cause such employee behaviour. Even if your business has these issues, a loyal employee will often find ways to make things happen. They will know when and where to add value.
Sign #3: They treat you like a person
A loyal employee always treatsthe leader like a person. To most employees, a leader is not a person- s/he’s a boss. And they expect the boss to always have the answers. That isn’t the case. Loyal employees understand that a leader is also a person- someone with insecurities, fears, and bad days. And they proactively work in getting work done while managing those issues. That’s because they’re committed to the growth of the organization, the leader, themselves and the employees who report to them. And understand the link between all four. Contrast being ‘treated like a person’ with ‘boss management’. ‘Boss management’ is knowing how to keep a boss happy, irrespective of the output generated. For instance, boss management means knowing what to say and what work output to demonstrate to the leader when s/he’s in a demanding mood. And waiting for that mood to pass over. In contrast, a loyal employee understands, for instance, changing demands from customers and communicates with candour with the boss to try to make things better. They understand that the boss is also human, a person affected by emotions and stressors.
Length of employment is no longer a measure for loyalty
If it isn’t obvious already, loyalty has nothing to do with the length of employment. Absolutely nothing. Consider a 15-year vintage company veteran who does just enough to justify his role. But is a drag on company morale and does his best to make life difficult for new employees. And is frequently cited by other employees as a cause for conflict in the workplace. Contrast this with an employee who has been around for a couple of years. He does his work diligently, other employees like working with him and he produces good work. Who is more loyal? The veteran employee certainly has more experience in the company. Yet, I would argue that the employee who is spent a couple of years in your company is more loyal. At the very least, more committed. There is a big difference between long-serving employees and loyal employees. Not all long-serving employees are loyal employees. And not all loyal employees are long-serving employees.
Closing thoughts
Long-serving employees who are disloyal can wreak havoc in an organization. Since in most cases they know the promoter well, their perceived power in an organization is high. They also know the unwritten systems and processes that get work done. All this allows them to throw their weight around. Since they have much better access to the ‘grapevine’, a few well-placed pieces of gossip can destroy employee morale. And reduce efficiency significantly.
For such employees, it’s worth considering parting ways. If they have been with you for a considerable period and don’tshow any of the three signs of loyalty, then their experience probably doesn’t count for much. Parting ways is likely best, both for the organization and the employee. It is a scary scenario for a leader. Training a new person to do the tasks which the long-serving employee performs is difficult. Yet, for an organisation, new ideas and new perspectives can emerge from new employees. And can be the basis for your business growth. For the employee, it forces them to get out of their comfort zone and keep learning. Instead of spending a long period of time with one organization and losing touch with relevant skill-sets. And then not being able to successfully perform their jobs either at their current or future organizations. Parting ways can often be the spark for employees to reclaim their joy of working.
While it’s important to differentiate between long-serving and loyal employees, don’t go overboard. There are plenty of long-serving employees who are loyal. Such employees need to be treasured. Give them their due and try to retain them in your organisation. They can make the difference between a good and a great business.