If in our everyday life we can agree that no two people are the same, then it’s just as obvious when it comes to two employees. Every employee has their own thought process, or their own comfort zone. What works for one, may not apply to the other and approaching them with one uniform management process won’t always help. After all, being fair to someone does not mean a blanket management style for everyone. The approach today needs to be customized for the team member’s happiness. Especially in a formal setting like the workplace, where every action impacts employee productivity. Hence, it is imperative for companies to have employer branding strategies that allow creativity of an employee to be freely expressed.
Treating Fair Does Not Mean Treating Same
Every employee works differently. Some like quiet, while others are okay working in groups. Their career goals are different, and not everyone likes to participate in every office activity. Some employees like face to face interactions, while some others are happier with a short email message. Strong employer branding strategies include starting a conversation with your employees to understand their preferences, it opens communication with them and allows them to speak their mind. Sensing care and love, builds belief in the employees’ minds as the organisation looks into individual matters.
While every like or dislike cannot be accommodated, treating all employees the same is actually unfair. It is almost like denying the fact that they are all unique in their own ways. Creativity and inspiration which aids in the growth of the organisation can bloom from anything, and whether the employee thinks outside the box or inside it, doesn’t matter. Instead, take this individuality into consideration and accommodate their preferences whenever possible. At times, even empathy and attention to their needs, helps.
Inside Or Outside The Box Doesn’t Matter As Long As Thinking Happens
Just the way everyone’s needs are different, so is their thinking process. At the workplace, when employees are faced with a problem, managers call for team meetings to discuss solutions. While some creative thinkers have wild ideas, others may be very strategic in nature. During such a time, asking team members to think outside the box as a way to motivate them, can be stressful for the ones who, well, prefer thinking inside the box. But whether the team comes up with conventional ideas or modern, limitless ideas – it doesn’t and shouldn’t matter as long as thinking happens in the right direction and solves the problem. What works for the better of the organisation is not what defines the thinking process was, but what it derives. When employees are given the right opportunities, they promote your employer branding strategies in the form of employee testimonials.
Listen, Empathise, Accommodate
Organisations must acknowledge individualities and it should start with HR managers, people managers and leadership teams to emphasise on the fact that everyone working under the same roof, need not have the same preferences. When it comes to professional development plans, they need to be tailor-made for each employee to ensure wins for both – the organisation as well as individual. Some team members are extremely outgoing. Some, like keeping their personal lives separate and may not be comfortable participating in every employee engagement activity. Rejecting this individuality can lead to suppressed thoughts and ideas. The employee might feel demotivated in such a situation, impacting their own growth and the organisation’s as well.
While conceptualizing robust employer branding strategies may seem inclusive on paper, executing these ideas may not be so simple. Which is why, care must be taken to ensure that any accommodation made towards a particular employee is purely contextual. But more importantly, it should not be translated into personal favours that create biases at the workplace.
