As we all know, high levels of employee motivation and commitment generate better results. There are strategies you can put in place to develop employees' full potential, keep them motivated and prevent them from turning to your competitors. Here are just a few of them.
Know-how vs. know-being
Know-how" is the set of technical skills required for an individual to perform the tasks expected of him or her in the job in question. For example, a welder needs to know how to weld, and an accountant needs to know how to use Excel. These skills can be developed through training or mentoring.
That said, some organizations tend to underestimate the power of "soft skills". These tend to represent an employee's general attitude. We're thinking here of the empathy one can develop towards a colleague in difficulty, showing resilience in the face of a complex situation, adapting to change, the ability to take the lead on a project (even without being a manager), and so on. Gandhi himself said, "You may have all the skills, but if you don't have the attitude, you won't succeed".
When hiring a candidate, it's a good idea to focus on their vision, enthusiasm and determination, rather than strictly on their technical ability to do the job, which in any case can be acquired through training.
Reflect on your corporate culture
How do your employees, collaborators, suppliers and partners view your organization's culture?
It's also possible to make the link with an employee's "soft skills", since it's the organization's culture that influences (to a large extent) how employees should behave: is it easy to express oneself within the company? Can an employee propose new ideas? How inclusive, open and responsive is the organization? Do we value risk-taking, or are we more in a hierarchical culture where the slightest mistake is punished?
All these questions are legitimate and form the basis of the employee experience. It's these human, intangible and difficult-to-quantify aspects that play a fundamental role in an employee's sense of well-being, or in a candidate's willingness to apply.
Is your corporate strategy geared towards your employees' personal skills? This is often the starting point for developing a "feedback" culture, where every moment of an employee's professional life can be the subject of feedback. Gone are the days when employee feedback was confined to the annual appraisal meeting with the manager. An informal meeting, in a corridor, near the coffee machine, etc., can be a good place to offer feedback. Don't forget that feedback doesn't have to be vertical (from manager to employee): open the door to feedback from your teams too. This is where collective intelligence begins. You'll see, these conversations will be enriching, and the whole company will benefit.
Encouraging exchanges between colleagues
As mentioned above, "soft skills" have more to do with attitudes. While some people have developed them naturally (it's true that some people find it easier to communicate than others, for example), the fact remains that they can be developed, notably through training, according to the old adage "practice makes perfect".
Proposing focus groups or working groups on a given topic can encourage exchanges between your teams. The diversity of experiences and profiles is conducive to the emergence of original solutions. Let's say you need to promote a new product, react to a competitor's move, plan the implementation of a new process... Why not set aside some time specifically for brainstorming with employees, in small groups, to come up with the best ideas to meet the challenge... and present them to management? You'll facilitate interaction and make it clear to everyone in the organization that peer-to-peer exchanges, ideas (even zany ones!) and trial-and-error are welcome! You'll score points with employees who are looking for this team spirit to perform better in their jobs, you'll encourage intrapreneurship and, more broadly, you'll contribute to employee buy-in to the company's various projects and challenges, since this openness will be an additional motivating factor for many.
To be or not to be: what is the meaning of your company?
Author Simon Sinek wrote a whole book on this subject: the "why". Why am I in this job, in this company? What are we collectively doing to move society forward? What is my place in the organization, and how do I contribute - in my own way - to the objectives we've set ourselves? Meaning" is how employees perceive the company, their position within it and its impact on society.
The search for meaning has taken a very important place in the hearts of the new generation when it comes to their involvement at work. Sinek also mentions that the "why" is just as important for the company, because it's first and foremost the organization's philosophy that candidates, employees and customers will adhere to, long before they buy the product.
To achieve this, ask yourself a few simple questions: does the company offer work/life balance? What impact does the organization have on society? Does the company have an eco-responsible policy? Do all employees share the company's culture, such as openness, well-being at work, life balance, etc.?
The answers to these questions help to convey a corporate philosophy that will be shared by all employees, and that will satisfy employees who are primarily interested in the meaning of their contribution to the group in which they evolve.
In conclusion
Attracting, satisfying and retaining talent is difficult, between the opportunities offered elsewhere and the shortage of manpower. While there are generational differences in people's expectations and aspirations towards work, there seems to be a certain consensus as to the desire to find the right balance between professional and personal life, to have a job that makes sense, within a company of which one can be proud and which offers enviable working conditions.
It's up to managers to open the discussion.
To find out more :
Talent retention: the keys to retaining your employees[1] Resource Corner, « Les leaders en gestion des talents ». https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/fr/resources/article/etude-2023-sur-les-tendances-rh-et-contenus-de-formation/
