Employees Are Your Most Important Customers

January 5, 2022

What was first known as The Great Resignation is now known as The Great Reshuffle. As LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky puts it, we’re entering a talent migration that’s bigger than anything we’ve seen before. Employees are rethinking why they work instead of how they work and are reevaluating what’s important to them as well as what they want to be doing.

According to LinkedIn, in April 2021 two-thirds of the workforce either left their job or considered switching careers, causing the U.S to hire 70% more than the hiring rate in June 2020.

Because of reshuffling of talent, companies are rethinking their entire working models, their cultures, and what they value as a business. Employers are reshaping their skills and shifting their mindsets to adapt to today’s competitive labor market.

These tips will prepare you to become the manager no one wants to leave during The Great Reshuffle!

1. Provide The Best Customer Service For Your Employees

Your employees are your first and most important customers from an internal perspective. They use your company’s tools and systems, and they experience the company culture firsthand before your external customers do. Your employees are your greatest brand advocates and it’s important to treat them like your most loyal customers.

Here’s some of the best ways to ensure you’re treating your employees like your customers:

Engage In Conversations With Your Employees

Establishing and maintaining relationships with workers is a simple yet meaningful effort. Like customers, your employees want to be greeted with friendliness and treated with respect.

Listen To Your Employees

Employees hate feeling in the dark; they want their voices to be heard and their opinions to matter. Ask them what they like and dislike about their work environment the same way you would ask a customer about the pros and cons of your product or service.

Use their feedback to reduce frustrations and improve work conditions. Giving your team members the opportunity to express their concerns will make them feel valued in your company and strengthen the company culture.

Be An Authentic Leader

Employees like their bosses to be mission-driven, productive, and trustworthy. Like customers, employees prefer to interact with someone who is transparent. Being an authentic leader means being committed to bettering yourself which will motivate you to become a role model for your team.

Also, having a keen sense of self-awareness helps you perform better in your leadership position and sharpens your emotional intelligence.

2. Business Success Starts With Employee Experience

The employee experience is influenced by three factors: the physical work environment, the support and tools provided to ensure success, and how an employer takes interest in the well-being of their employees. Prioritizing your team members’ experience to be as positive as the customer will improve the quality of their work.

Physical Work Environment

Take a step back and place yourself in your employees’ shoes. Is their environment a comfortable place to work in? If you wouldn’t like to work in their workplace, then there’s a possibility that there could be some improvement. Ask your employees what they love about their work or what else the company could do to create a comfortable environment.

Support And Tools

Having accessibility to tools, proper training, and the support to boost your staff members’ performance will help them feel confident in their field. There’s nothing worse than an employee feeling clueless and insignificant at work! Try sending surveys to your team members to understand how they feel about their job performance and offer them the help they may need.

Well-Being Of Employees

Most importantly, check in with your employees from time to time. Ask them how they’re doing and make the effort to start a conversation about life outside of work. Giving team members the opportunity to take a mental break from work will make a big difference to their mood!

3. Employees Are Your Biggest Brand Advocates

As Simon Sinek once said, “customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” Employees who love their workplace and feel valued will create outstanding experiences for your customers. Otherwise, dissatisfied employees won’t feel motivated to provide such a wonderful service to others.

If your employees don’t believe in your business, then their performance and deliverance will be poor. By listening attentively, you can understand exactly what your employees need from you which will lead to even greater effectiveness and fulfillment during The Great Reshuffle.