By Karl Salmon
An employer’s relationship with its employee shares similar characteristics to a marriage. The underlying parallels for both relationships are fostered on mutual respect, compatibility and an agreement to commit to a prosperous, faithful and harmonious coexistence, bounded by legal enshrinement.
The expectation of the employer is to fulfill its obligation to the employee by providing a safe and healthy work environment, promote and encourage individual growth, and value the employee in accordance with the terms and conditions of the employment contract.
The commitment of the employee is to bring value to the company, by performing according to the company’s mission, goals, objectives and expectations of the organization.
This chicken dance narrates the evolution of both business and personal relationships:
The pursuer goes in search of his desired interest. The prospect welcomes the attention -after all, the pursuer’s attributes were impressive and he represented himself well. The waiting game by the phone begins. Time stands still as he anticipates that call. He finally gets that welcoming connection.
They are growing fond of each other and both enjoy the direction the conversation is heading.
They agree to a face-to-face meeting to probe further for compatibility. They determine that they are a fit for each other and agree to commit to a long-term relationship.
Time passes and routine activities become mundane. Bad habits and behaviours set in and both parties become weary of each other and begin to take each other for granted.
Sounds familiar?
What happens when the vows in the workplace begin to crumble and break?
Neglect and abuse
A bad manager can take a good employee and destroy their morale by consistently overlooking their accomplishments, conveying destructive criticism, and by using improper communication style and channels. Eventually, the employee loses motivation and feels unappreciated and abused. The employee eventually yearns for fulfilment outside of the organization.
“Your employer leaves for vacation and entrusts you to maintain productivity. You diligently and meticulously carry out your responsibilities. Within reason, you crafted major decisions that enhanced the brand and contributed to revenue growth. You are stressed out at the end of the week, but take pride in your belief that you have made a valuable contribution to the company. The manager returns from vacation and overlooks the work you have done in their absence.”
Conversely, employees sometimes contribute to the breakdown of the union by failing to honour their commitment to the corporate vows exchanged.
An employee who makes frequent mistakes or habitually misses deadlines can be a major liability to a company’s relationship with its clients. Also, employees who do not take accountability for their actions and blame others for their failures are also a warning sign that he or she may not have been a good fit.
Frequent absences also show a lack of motivation and could be a sign that their interest may no longer be with the company.
Infidelity in the workplace
What causes an employee to look outside their work to fill that void?
Employers oftentimes forget that it is not the customer or client who drives the growth of the company. It is their employees.
When the employer’s focus is solely on their client/customer and revenue, all those accomplishments and efforts of the employee (sometimes going above and beyond) seem in vain and regrettable. The employee eventually feels neglected and yearns for love, appreciation, and acceptance outside of the organization. When an opportunity for a better environment outside the company presents itself, the employee will- at least, entertain the thought. Slowly a plot to escape is conceived and harboured.
This is a natural human response.
Building and strengthening relationship
The success of a company depends on the loyalty of its employees. When your employees perform well, they should be recognized and rewarded with expressions as simple as an inter-office memo to colleagues, to more meaningful gestures like further opportunities for growth, or better compensation and benefits.
Care should be taken to ensure that the relationship employers have with one employee is equal to the relationship they have with other employees. Otherwise, this will lead to accusations of favouritism and unfairness.
Just as with all relationships, the employer and employee relationship must be nurtured and developed over time. Managers should plan activities with employees outside of the company to escape from the monotony of work and more important, to build support and trust. Honest and open interactions regarding the employee’s well-being should be initiated, encouraged and maintained.
The relationship between the employer and employee should be reciprocal, beneficial, and based on mutual reliance and respect. Managing this relationship is important to business success, as strong relationships can lead to greater employee happiness, long-term commitment, and increased productivity.
A happy employee is a committed and faithful one.
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