Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em
Getting Good People to Stay
An Interview with Dr. Bev Kaye, Author of 800K books sold, and Hema Crockett, Gig Talent
WHAT TO EXPECT
Recruiting top talent is important. Keeping your already highest-performing employees on your payroll is even better. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it used to be. You can’t treat your employees like robots and expect them to stay.
Employees want and expect meaningful work and opportunities to learn and grow. How can organizations help their employees feel valued and feel like the grass isn’t greener at their competitors?
Our first guest, Bev Kaye, probably needs no introduction. As an expert in the field of employee branding and employee retention, Bev Kaye is a pioneer in the HR and ATD world. She is the author of the “Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em” series; with a sixth edition just recently released. Every chapter in her book reveals how managers can ensure employees feel inspired, appreciated, and valued. And with the pressure to elevate diversity, inclusion, and equity for every race and gender, she offers tips in every chapter. Bev was also recently honored with the ATD Lifetime Achievement Award and Thought Leader Award from ISA (Association of Learning Providers).
Our second segment features Hema Crockett, author of the book Designing Exceptional Organizational Cultures.
Segment #1: Bev Kaye
Bev Kaye s the “sage on the stage,” preaching the powerful but often forgotten message, that employees should feel like the organization is their most valuable asset; that management and co-workers alike encourage, trust, and support them. She shares several ways an organization can not only keep their employees on the payroll, but makes them feel loved, engaged, and inspired, One of the most important tips she offered is the “stay interview.” Why wait until an employee leaves and conduct an exit interview? Why not check in regularly and ask, “Is there one thing I can be doing more of that would make life here better?” [10:55] This is the power of the “stay interview.” Although managers might be hesitant to open that can of worms to an employee for fear of not being able to deliver, just must keep asking “what else [can I do]?” The employee then feels heard, recognized, and valued.
Segment #2: Hema Crockett
Author of “Designing Exceptional Organizational Cultures,” Hema Crockett rounds out our discussion on what a manager can do to create an employee-centric environment. She dives into her model for an exceptional organization and how it starts with a very self-aware leadership. Hema, like Bev, reinforces the need to consistently check in with employees, both personally and professionally. An exceptional organization is one where employees feel engaged. It creates an environment where they feel they contribute with their special talents for a meaningful purpose. Defining what it means to work at this organization and what high-performance means is an incredible place for a company to start. [38:45] Hema then elaborates on what a gig-economy is and what it is going to look like in a post-Covid world.
LISTEN, WATCH, SUBSCRIBE
Quotes
“The idea of ‘being nice to everybody’ goes for everybody.” [7:55]
“The stay interview should be done by anyone who manages anyone.” [12:52]
“Fear of getting back to normal.” [28:10]
“The statistics are really showing that 50% of the workforce will be in the gig-economy by 2025.” [37:30]
“What the pandemic has really shown, from a cultural perspective, it’s about going back to basics.” [44:25]
Podcast Notes
How to Show You Care
“The idea of ‘being nice to everybody’ goes for everybody.” [7:55]
For many people, using the word “love” at work might be uncomfortable. In fact, in the new era of equity and inclusion, many experts might advise strongly against using the word “love.” It’s nice in theory and with our families, but we can’t say we love somebody at work. But we can do our best to make sure each employee feels loved. Her use of love just represents feeling recognized, noticed, appreciated, valued, and rewarded. The simplicity and complexity of it all boil down to “show you care.” [10:00]
Having a Strong Infrastructure
“The stay interview should be done by anyone who manages anyone.” [12:52]
This is where Bev breaks down who should be doing these “stay interviews” but expresses how HR can get involved.
- HR could lead the interview prep and meetings.
- HR could demo an example of a stay interview to be done by a manager.
- HR could train the managers to conduct a stay interview of their employees.
Bev points out that she has the training, practices, and procedures available to any and all managers that want to start conducting these “stay interviews” because HR shouldn’t be doing them.
What Does the New Normal Look Like?
“Fear of getting back to normal.” [28:10]
In this new post-Covid world, employees are having many concerns unique to life after a pandemic. For some, working from home remains uncomfortable. But for millions of others, it’s a refreshing and comfortable new way of life, a new routine. Managers are going to have to take extra care to show that they recognize and address each person’s needs. Although everyone wants to return to normal work life, what that means will be different. Moods will run the gamut from sad and anxious to happy and excited. To address these concerns, Bev recommends a manager ask every single individual what their greatest fear is about the “new normal.” Another great question is: “What are you most not wanting to give up that you experienced during the pandemic?” [30:08]
Gig Work on the Rise
“The statistics are really showing that 50% of the workforce will be in the gig-economy by 2025.” [37:30]
Hema is helping independent consultants through her talent agency that she co- founded, called “Gig Talent.” Based on this statistic, her agency is going to be a huge support for the large amount of people that are soon, if not already, going to enter the gig economy and seek gig work; doing what they love as independent consultants/contractors.
What’s Most Important After A Pandemic?
“What the pandemic has really shown, from a cultural perspective, it’s about going back to basics.” [44:25]
Hema expands on what has become most important to people in an organization, post-Covid:
- It’s about relating to one another.
- It’s about growing those relationships, which is how we build trust.
- It’s about defining what’s important to us at the end of the day.
This is how we get the business results that we are ultimately looking for. Although office space can be important to some degree, an exceptional organization develops from the collaboration and interaction employees have with one another, whether that space is physical, digital, or virtual. What we can learn from working through a pandemic is focusing on what is most important to the organization and your employees, and being intentional in everything that you do.
WHERE TO WATCH OR LISTEN
The Geeks, Geezers & Googlization TV Show is live every Wednesday at 1 PM ET on Facebook, YouTube, Talk 4 TV, and broadcast on W4CY Radio, part of Talk 4 Radio on the Talk 4 Media Network. The podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting.
Following the broadcast, the replay will be available at the same links for YouTube and Facebook, our podcast website Geeks Geezers Googlization, and on most podcasts including Apple Podcast, iHeart, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher and more.
