Loyal employees are gold. Worship them.
Photo by Samson Katt from Pexels
To whom are you loyal? To your company, team, or manager?
I asked this question on LinkedIn. The majority said to the team, not to the manager or their company. Are you doing a bad job as a manager? Probably not, but the social aspect of work is more prominent than you think.
Loyal employees are often not visible. They don’t have to be rising stars. They don’t complain and work effectively.
They do their best and are committed to the success of the team and the company.
They care.
Why does it even matter?
Do you need loyal employees? Why should you worship them? They work for money. So, it’s in their favor to work well. Not that fast.
Think about loyal employees in two ways: internal and external.
Internally, loyal employees care about the company and their team. They want to be part of the business and play an active role. They are more productive and innovative than others.
Loyal coworkers help each other, support their management team, and pull on the same rope.
Externally, loyal employees are important to the company's image. They are proud of working there and have the power to attract new talents. They also build strong relationships with suppliers and clients.
Loyal employees grow your company.
That’s the truth about employee loyalty.
Photo by micheile || visual stories on Unsplash
How can you get loyal employees fast?
Every company and every manager wishes to have loyal employees. You don’t have to take care of them. They are there for you. They work on autopilot.
Can you hire loyal employees? Yes, you can. Yet, loyalty can’t be bought. The salary plays a significant role, but it’s not the only motivation.
Loyalty comes with time.
You can hire a person whose personality is loyal. But it does not mean they will never leave. Like any other relationship, you need to take care of them.
One common mistake is to think that loyal employees are those who are a long time in the company. Again not necessarily true.
To understand if your team is loyal or not, you need to give them space to express themselves and time to independently turn their ideas into actions.
How fast do you make your teams loyal? As fast as you can listen to them and understand how they work and care about the company.
What qualities do loyal employees have?
Loyalty does not mean people have to agree with you all the time. Quite on the flipside. Loyal employees are those who question and challenge without attacking anyone.
Loyal employees have a great feel for the issues and concerns of the people around them, and they ask questions or raise important issues when others won’t. — Dharmesh Shah
Such employees have an overview of what’s happening and how it affects their work and their teams. They can think strategically and tell you what you don’t want to hear without touching you.
So, look for your loyal squad who:
Asks questions
Engages in discussions
Supports agreement execution
Is transparent
Does not criticizes but seeks possibilities
Has goals always in mind
Loyal employees do not undermine anyone’s position. They are open to solutions and their execution when a direction is decided.
Their power lies in a positive attitude.
At the end of the day, they work to achieve goals. They believe in the company's direction and they do their best to help fulfill its purpose.
What role does trust play?
You can’t do anything without trust. Trust is the basic element of relationships.
Unless your team feels safe and comfortable, they can hardly feel loyal.
I always say that you have to let your team get to know you; they let you get to know them. Employees need time to talk together. The basics for trust should be in place in any team— fair treatment, transparent communication, and equality.
How can you encourage loyalty? You can promise vouchers to McDonald's if people stay with you for 6+ months. But does that help them be more loyal? Can tangible perks improve employees’ behavior? In the short-term, maybe, but think long-term.
Loyal employees want to be heard and listen to. Great leaders make space for such conversations. Their ideas and inputs are important to the business. Do you listen to them enough? Do you act on their recommendations?
Trust and loyalty are tightly linked together. But none can be taken for granted.
Open discussions and the feeling that employees are part of the decision-making process can significantly improve both — trust and loyalty.
Final thought
Many corporate words touch loyalty, such as engagement, retention, or performance. None of them can replace it, as loyalty is key.
People are key to success and growth. Can you understand what keeps them motivated and loyal? If you can, you are one step closer to succeeding.
Loyal employees are gold. Worship them.
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