Fostering Employee Growth: Bangerang for Boomerangs

“More than one of four people who quit their job regret their decision and 42% who quit said the new job didn’t live up to their expectations” (2022 report from employment search platform Joblist). We’ve all been there. The grass seems greener somewhere else and when we leave our current position, we’re unfortunately let down by what seemed bright and shiny. We recently read this in an interview with Kristen Cavallo, CEO of MullenLowe and The Martin Agency. In the article she talks about boomerangs. Boomerangs are hires that left a company only to come back later, hence the name boomerang. She herself had this relationship with Deutsch LA. She suggests respecting employee curiosity to try new roles at other companies and not trying to pressure them to stay. It will help them learn and if you don’t burn the bridge, not only will it save your company reputation, it sets the ego aside and lets them feel comfortable. In doing so, they may boomerang back to your company in the long run. Let them know that they can find growth within the company that they are coming back to. They want to know that they can come back to familiarity but with added challenges to grow professionally.

We could not agree more with this style of leadership. Setting the ego aside to create good relationships with the people that work for you will build trust, it will create a company culture that people want to be a part of. There are benefits to rehiring an ex-employee who has left and decided that the grass was, in fact, not greener. Here are a couple reasons why hiring an employee back can be beneficial.

1.     Less time for onboarding process.

2.     They’re already familiar with the job, their duties and expectations.

3.     They will fit back into the company culture.

4.     They will have likely learned new skills while away from the job that they bring back with them.

5.     It will increase their relationship between the company and the employee. Thusly, increasing loyalty.

6.     They typically will outperform a new hire even if they’re less qualified.

Although we agree with this practice, there are also some things to keep in mind when rehiring an employee as well. Why did they leave in the first place? Is it something that you can ensure them to come back for? Compensation increase, title promotions. This is what we stated above. It’s important to let them know that they can grow within the company and it will entice them to validify their choice to come back. It’s also important to understand that although they have been at the company before, if they are taking a different role, the acclimation process may be slower than expected. It’s important to support them in the beginning with good training in order to prevent mistakes later down the line.

We love the idea of boomerang employees and giving people the space that they need to improve on their skill sets within their industry. Here at Locomotive, our employees are fully remote and have our full attention with whatever they need. We are mindful that they may have other professional obligations going on aside from ours. In order for them to feel comfortable we support them with every project in order to get the highest quality work for our company. We firmly believe that our flexibility with them is why we have a high retention rate. We’ve had the same team since the very beginning with only a few add ons once we started to grow. Flexibly fosters growth.

Employee Engagement

What is employee engagement? Well, it can be defined as a measure of an employee’s sense of purpose at the workplace, involvement, commitment to the brand, their effectiveness in communicating and lastly, having a collaborative attitude that’s dedicated to quality performance. Engagement of employees is about motivation behind their work and not job satisfaction. It’s surprising to note that only 36% of workers in the United States are highly engaged, according to HubSpot. Employees are the gears that turn the machine within a business. Their engagement is necessary to its success. When the gears are well oiled, the machine runs smoothly and efficiently. Think of it like this. It’s just as within the human body. When one part isn’t working well, the entire thing sees a downturn and it’s like a domino effect. One thing ultimately, affects the whole. Therefore, fostering a good culture in the workplace is crucial. Let’s look at some stats. Gallup studies show that having good employee engagement:

1.     Lowers absenteeism by 81%

2.     Lowers turnover rates by 18%

3.     Lowers defects in quality by 41%

4.     Increases productivity by 18%

5.     Increases customer loyalty and engagement by 10%

6.     Increases profitability by 23%

It is obvious why employee engagement is important looking at these numbers, but how do you foster it within the workplace for your brand? There are 3 key components to doing so. 1.) Leadership. 2.) Rewards and Recognition. 3.) Personal Growth. Within the leadership role, managers and CEO’s must communicate clear expectations for their employees so they understand their tasks, goals and day to day responsibilities. To this, they must also provide the proper tools and knowledge that they need to carry out these tasks while giving them the space to show your trust of them. Autonomy shows them that they are valued. Recognition programs are a great way to show employees they’re valued as well. Reward them with bonuses, gift cards, gift baskets, etc. for their successes. Lastly, there must always be room for growth and a clear path of how to get there. This can help create a sense of purpose with employees. They start at the bottom and work their way up towards a goal.

Now that you have all the tools you need to engage your employees; how do you measure the effectiveness you are having with it? The first is obvious, seek their feedback. Make it anonymous so they don’t feel put on the spot or you can have private, individual conversations. Or both. Survey Monkey is a great survey creator you can use to do this. Next, make sure to keep an eye on your turnover rates and employee absenteeism regularly. If these numbers are up, then unfortunately, engagement is down. Another way to get feedback would be to conduct exit interviews to see what areas can truly be improved. People tend to be more candid when they won’t be working there anymore.

In summary, employee engagement keeps your business running smoothly. Happy employees’ equal happy customers equal thriving businesses. It’s important to keep the gears of your business machine well-oiled in order to run well.

Ways to Foster Employee Trust in the Workplace

Oxytocin is called the “love” hormone released into the bloodstream that produces a euphoric feeling. It happens after we exercise, listen to music and embrace another human being in some way. A study done by Harvard Business Review demonstrated that acts done in order to produce trust from person to person, oxytocin is also released. This feel good hormone aids the process of trust within our bodies. It makes us feel good when we can trust someone. “People that work at high-trust companies compared to low-trust companies report that 50% state they’re more productive, 74% are less stressed, 106% have more energy at work and 40% have less burnout from work activities.” We’ve decided to make a 5 hit bullet point list of our top ways to improve trust within the workplace between employees in all positions.

1.     Listen more than you speak and ask for feedback. Make it clear that their input is important to the company and they can be part of the changes that go on within it. When employees feel that the company aligns with their values and that they can contribute to the company’s growth they’re more invested in its successes.

2.     Be transparent. Share information when you can. Have daily one-on-one communications with employees to reduce uncertainty about their careers and the current work situations going on.

3.     Encourage. Don’t demand! Motivating employees through encouragement instead of demands has been shown to increase productivity. I mean, I know that I don’t like being told what to do! I’m more apt to complete a task with encouragement than commands. This shows that you trust the employee to do the right thing and it gives them the freedom to do things their own way. When they feel trusted they will reciprocate.

4.     Emphasize what you have in common. Building real relationships with employees is crucial! Neuroscience shows that building social ties increase oxytocin and improves performance. Nurture these relationships with work events and team building activities.

5.     Show vulnerability and admit faults. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Even if you’re the CEO you’re still human! It will remind your employees of this and is a not a sign of weakness but a sign of secure leadership. When you make a mistake own it. They will respect your honesty and ability to embrace faults.

Trust only improves a business. Fostering care from the inside out will ensure a successful company that will stand the test of time. Let’s make this the “New Normal” in the workplace and continue to build great relationships. Not only inside the workplace but out!