Employee Engagement Starts with Respect

Dec 16

You want employee engagement? Respect your employees.

One HR blogger recently wrote that to look engaged, employees need to be tethered to work at all times. That’s not respect, that’s 1950s thinking. Engagement isn’t about how many hours someone works. Know the difference between time and value.

Do you think without a ton of policies that your employees will devolve into Lord of the Flies? No respect. Managers who believe in Theory X have no right to expect employee engagement.

Do you expect your employees have to salute the hierarchy and quiver when the big bosses come around? No respect. Engagement requires power, permission and protection. If employees think they can lose their jobs with an inadvertent phrase, there can’t be any engagement.

About the Author

Frank Roche

Frank started IFRACTAL over 7 years ago with Sarah Chambers. Together, they've created HR communications and HR software for some of the world's leading companies. Frank is also studying Flamenco guitar and origami.

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Comments

Michael Barata says:

December 17, 2009 at 1:31 pm

I think once we can get the biz world (employers & employees) to realize and admit that the current system is based on permission rather than performance, respect and trust may begin to permeate throughout.

Reply
- Frank Roche says:
  
  December 17, 2009 at 1:56 pm
  
  @Michael That is so true…it’s about treating people like the grownups they are.
  
  Reply