Breaking news: Investment in workers actually pays off

As per usual, I was reading one of my new favorite news sites, Chicago Breaking Business News, when a headline piqued my interest: Report: Companies profit by investing in workers.

Really? No way!

What seems like a simple and, well, essential concept is routinely ignored by many companies. Even if a company completely reverses its employee treatment course, the sentiment still lingers. Take for example EA Games and United Airlines. Little investment and poor employee treatment is a one-way ticket to disaster.

But if treating employees well and investing in them is such a no-brainer, why don't more companies do it?

Is it the cost? Or maybe the effort? Does upper management even care at all?

Bring on the PR

In my opinion, it all boils down to lack of internal communication. If employees are not happy, is there an outlet for them? Do their immediate managers know what to do with complaints? Can employees air grievances without fear of reprisal? These are just a few questions the company needs to ask itself. If no one knows why employees are unhappy, how can the problems be fixed?

If an employee feels cared for and listened to, they do perform better. Is it surprising that one of the top ten recognized brands in the world, along with being an incredible success, has some of the best-treated employees? Google does the job extremely well.

I don't invest in my employees, why won't they perform better?

If a company wants to improve it's employee relations, it needs to step up the internal communication. The company needs to go above and beyond what is expected. Sending out a mass e-mail or occasional newsletter will be perceived as a big joke. Time and investment is necessary.

Make the employee intranet more interesting rather than being a pain to use. Let different departments write articles about what it does. Have individual employees write about their lives. Try holding mixers between departments. Offer an employee shadowing program where departments can see what other departments do. This would be a great tool to foster camaraderie.

When an issue arises, the employee needs to feel comfortable expressing it. The immediate manager is usually the closest person an employee has a bond with. The employee should feel comfortable talking about situations with that manager.

You mean I actually have to ENGAGE employees?

An employee wants to think about work all the time, right? No way. A well-rounded employee is the best employee. When interviewing potential candidates, find out what their passion is and offer programs related to it. If your workplace has a lot of people interested in traveling, perhaps organize a company visit to an ethnic neighborhood on the weekend. Offer a group lunch at a local restaurant. The minimal cost of this will have big results.

If a company provides more internal communication and investment, employee morale and productivity will increase. It is sad that many companies do not 'get it,' but those that do are reaping numerous rewards from it.