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Dear HR-Historians, It Is Not The Employees Fault

“It is shocking, how many people start applying for new jobs only after six, seven, or nine months. It is also terrifying that many have barely survived more than one or two years in other jobs. Are they all misjudged geniuses?”

This is a comment I saw today on my LinkedIn feed. It is the kind of comment where I cannot hold me back. I must clarify my stance because these kinds of posts are written by HR specialists still living in the industrial age. It is 2018, and permanent employment is history. We arrived in a digital age where traditional offices and 9-5-work-hours are stories of the past.

Apparently, it is not the employee’s fault when he is looking for a new job after only a few months. The question is why is an employee quitting in the first place? The majority of employees will consider looking for a new job out of a few reasons which are simple to understand. They dislike the job, hate the people they work with, or they have no chance to improve themselves.

Let’s put it in other words: Your employees experience is the most important key to your company’s success. If the experiences of your employees in your company suck, the will quit and look for another job.

I suppose there are at least a dozen excellent books on this topic so I will simply elaborate the three most crucial issues: culture, culture, and culture.

Culture, Culture, Culture

So what must leaders do to create a great company culture? The first and foremost priority of every leader should be the well-being of their employees. No, not the customers and nor the shareholders: employees first. So merely listen to your employees. Which experiences do they want? What can you offer them?

When it comes to making employees happy, staffers and leaders should pay attention to the following points:
1. Learning: In today’s business environment, continuous learning is crucial. Not only for the organization’s success but also for the personal fulfillment of the single employee.
2. Workspace: Nobody wants to work in old and cold offices. Make sure your offices are attractive and welcoming.
3. Choice: Ensure that your employees can choose themselves how, when, and where they work as long the outcome is satisfactory.
4. Flexibility: The traditional employment will go down in the next five years. Employers should plan on hiring more freelancers. Within the organization, companies must introduce an organizational model where employees can quickly move among different projects and positions.
5. Leadership: Last but not least, being a great leader is super essential for employees. They can sense when a leader is weak. And what employees hat is being managed. In today’s world, it is inappropriate to manage performance. Instead, put more emphasis on continuous feedback and individualized coachings.

However, want I wanted to say with my short rant is that it is easy to point to my generation and say: look they are different. Instead, organizations must wear a brand which shows employees: this is an awesome place to work.

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