Experts say that one reason for the Great Resignation was that employees didn’t feel they were being heard. And some of the newest research may well support their claim. The research shows a disconnect between what leaders think they are conveying to their employees and what their employees are actually hearing. This difference of this perception is termed the “leadership gap”.
As we have seen during this unprecedented time of employment turmoil, employees are not afraid to quit a job if they feel their leadership don’t share their same values or care about them. Long gone are the employees that will stick with a job regardless of the company culture.
While the leaders of business have always been in charge, due to the pandemic the roles are reversed. Employees are now in charge and they are exercising their new found power by quitting in droves. And leaders should be listening. In most businesses, their company is nothing without employees and employees should be valued as their most important resourced.
The Leadership Gap Discovered
The leadership gap was found through a survey of mix of 1,500 U.S. workers in various companies. They were asked about the leadership and culture in their workplace. The answers to asked statements from entry-level workers was far different from those at middle-leadership and senior leaders within their company.
For example, one statement was “Leaders in my organization inspire others to be compassionate in their work and personal lives.” When asked of the senior leadership, 86% of them agreed they were doing that in their organization.. However, only 65% of entry-level employees agreed. A full 60% said the beliefs and attitudes held by their leaders were “insufficient in promoting compassion within their company”.
The survey results went on to show that 85% of leaders believed “their organization seeks input from employees to promote a compassionate workplace”. But only 59% of the lowest employees agreed with that statement. What the spread in numbers shows is that the message is getting lost somewhere between the top and the bottom.
Bridging the Gap
So how do companies bridge the leadership gap? One way is for leaders to pair their words with actions. Don’t make the mistake many leaders make by promising some type of change and then not following through with it. Research has shown that this is happening in many companies experiencing a large number of resignations.
Another way is following up. If you promised to make a change, and have made that change, poll your workers at a company-wide meeting to see if the change had its intended effect. If it did, great! If not, find out from them what they expected, how the change did not produce that and then make it happen. This lack of communication is costing companies as much as $420,000 in lost production and employees quitting because they feel they are not being appreciated.
Establish a Feedback Loop
Hold regular meetings with all employees. During these meetings, make it known that they can ask you anything or air any grievances they may have. Take notes, make changes where warranted and if you can’t make a change, tell they why. At least then they know you tried to support their needs, but could not due to something beyond even your control.
Compassionate Leadership
In case you don’t know what compassionate leadership is, it is a style that shows your employees you care about their dignity, wellness and growth in your company. Having compassionate leadership has shown to improve trust, collaboration, innovation, engagement and productivity. In short, it is what the workers of today are looking for in a job and the culture of a company. And as a compassionate leader, it is what you should want too!
In one recent report, it termed this leadership style as something that, “For companies to attract, retain, and grow the talent that will bring them sustained success, they need to fine-tune–or overhaul–their culture to meet the expectations of professionals and workers alike to be seen as human beings first and employees second.” In short, treat your employees as people and not as just workers. There is a huge difference between the two in some companies.
If your company has suffered from the Great Resignation and are having a hard time retaining the people you have since hired as replacements, maybe it is time to look at your leadership style to see if you are in the leadership gap.
