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“Investing time and praise in your employees pays off “

Today every third employee is so unsatisfied with his job that he considers a resignation. Only every second employee enjoys his job. These survey results are alarming for Hans Ulrich Gruber.

It actually sounds very easy: Human factors such as sympathy, empathy and support are decisive for the satisfaction of employees. These are the results of a recent study of the Forsa Institute in collaboration with Porsche Consulting that were published in the German newspaper “die Welt”. However, the 1.001 respondents of the study that were aged between 21 and 67 years, felt that exactly these factors weren´t pronounced enough in their managers. In consequence: every third employee is considering a resignation. Only every second employee enjoys his job.

The success factors are empathy and a positive corporate culture

“Empathy and an overall positive corporate culture are important and often underrated factors when it comes to keeping and motivating employees”, says the personnel consultant Hans Ulrich Gruber. As the former manager of an international company he has many years of experience in the leadership of teams. Apart from empathy it is important to “sense and tackle problems before they appear on paper. As a proactive manager it is central to address the problems of high performers, before they become too severe”, says Hans Ulrich Gruber. Excellent managers, that ensure the flow of information and provide a positive atmosphere within the team, could now be a decisive factor for the success of a company. “In a period of upheaval and the growing digitization it is especially important keep up the motivation within your team”, says Gruber.

„Investing time and praise in your employees pays off “, knows the personnel consultant Hans Ulrich Gruber. Picture: © Jeanette Dietl – stock.adobe.com

Form the employee perspective the topics of praise and information indeed play a central role to their job satisfaction. Around 28% of all respondents complain about missing praise and 27% lament that their bosses are withholding information. Furthermore, 45% think that managers are handling too many things at once. “As a manager I have to prioritise and take time for the topics that are important”, says Gruber. “This primarily includes personal conversations and the motivation of team members”.

A trusting atmosphere can secure loyalty

“Only when you listen and create a trusting atmosphere you can notice, when someone has a problem, says Hans Ulrich Gruber. According to a survey conducted by the polling institute YouGov, 80% of all respondents feel the effects of a stressful working environment: Fear, anxiety, insomnia go with that. Around 42 percent of all respondents indicate that their managers show little interest in that.

“A good manager is attentive towards the performance and state of its employees”, says the personnel consultant Hans Ulrich Gruber. “It can happen that a top performer, all the sudden needs more support, due to different personal problems”. The manager who is approachable in such a situation can gain loyalty. And in times of upheaval, with a lack of specialists and an almost empty job market, loyalty is a precious asset.

Picture (above): © fizkes – stock.adobe.com