Dignity and Respect in the Workplace Motivates Employees

Dignity and Respect in the Workplace Motivates Employees

Study after study has proven that lack of employee motivation is one of the major causes of customer dissatisfaction and lack of company or product loyalty. There is a high degree of correlation between motivated employees and satisfied customers. What motivates employees to work better towards company or corporate citizenship?

There is a great deal of change pressure in the global marketplace. Companies have to be ready to change or manipulate the company or corporate structure on extremely short notice if the companies want to compete. Even though some companies do not operate necessarily in the global marketplace, their competition may be from somewhere far away. Companies must become leaner and more efficient no matter what marketplace the company operates in.

This leanness and efficiency usually translates to employee pressure most of the time. This is because it means that employees must do more with less and do it better. While this causes stress, it is not the highest cause of employee stress. Stressors such as working environmental issues such as supervisor/employee relations cause far more stress. These stressors factor highly in missed time, lack of effort, and employee turnover. It has also been shown that there is a high degree of correlation between stressors in the workplace and coronary disease.

When analyzed it was demonstrated often that the pressures caused by change or economic company instability were not the main cause of employee stress but rather not being treated properly was considered to one of the highest de-motivators. Most employees rank being treated with dignity and respect as one of the most important attributes they desire in their work. This desire is ranked even higher than compensation.

Most companies want employees to see great importance in becoming productive loyal company or corporate citizens. Employee citizenship will result in higher levels of productivity, efficiency, and customer service. This last attribute is obviously one of the most important. For employees to become good company citizens it is a two-way street. For employee commitment at this level to a company requires that there is a reciprocal commitment from the company to the employee. One of the most significant aspects of this reciprocity is for the employee to be treated with dignity and respect.

Companies often see employment alone as reason enough for employees to be and stay motivated. If mediocrity is the goal, then this will work most of the time. However, most companies are not satisfied with mediocrity. Customers are surely not satisfied with mediocrity and will not remain loyal to a company run like this.

Employees are due to be treated with dignity and respect for a number of reasons. First, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Second, employees are the backbone of the company. What can any company do without them? I am often amazed at how poorly sales professionals are treated in many companies, as if they are not important.

There is no substitute for highly experienced and qualified sales professional in any company. An experienced sales professional will out sell, serve customers needs better, and be far more efficient than inexperienced sale professionals. And yet company after company lets the better sales professionals go thinking lower paid sales professionals will produce better results. They will not produce better company financial results over the long run.

A third reason to treat employees with dignity and respect is they will commit at a much greater level to the company position and policies. Citizenship like this can be felt all the way down to the customer. Just consider for a moment the companies that are known for great customer service. What usually sets them apart from the competition is the employees’ motivation toward being good company or corporate citizens.

To truly compete, companies need to have highly motivated company or corporate citizens at all levels within the organization committed to organizational success. The quickest and most productive way to accomplish this is to treat all employees with dignity and respect all of the time.