Earlier this year, Greg Smith, a Goldman Sachs executive, quit the company and wrote a scathing op-ed in the New York Times as part of his resignation, saying that the firm was using unscrupulous business practices and ripping off its clients. This led to a feeding frenzy and a full on attack against Goldman Sachs from the media and the general public, creating a major headache for the company and causing significant damage to its brand.
This is the power disgruntled employees hold.
A disgruntled employee can bring your brand to its knees. A disgruntled employee can spread all sorts of nasty rumors about your company, and they can wreak havoc in a host of other ways. Even if they’re not as bold and aggressive with their attacks against your company, a disgruntled employee can still do damage to your brand in other ways, such as simply failing to do their job properly and causing your service to your customers to suffer.
How can you make sure a disgruntled employee doesn’t hurt your brand? The key is to prevent your employees from becoming unhappy in the first place. And just how do you do that?
- Ask your employees how they’re doing on a regular basis — A simple “Hey, how are you?” can go a long way to showing your employees you care about them. If you never take the time to show interest in the well-being of your employees, they’ll feel like you don’t value them and you aren’t concerned about them. And why would anyone want to work for someone who doesn’t care about them?
- Encourage your employees — In too many cases, management takes a negative tone and approach with employees. Rather than encouraging and motivating them, they pick them apart and point out their faults. You need to focus on inspiring your employees. Keep a positive tone and give them encouragement on a regular basis.
- Show your employees you trust them — A lack of trust kills the boss-employee relationship. If you want your employees to trust and respect you, you have to return the favor. It truly is a two-way street.
- Focus on career development — No one wants to feel like they’re going to be stuck at their current job forever. When employees feel like they’ve reached a dead end, they lose motivation and begin to hate their jobs. You need to take an interest in the development of your employees. Find ways to help them grow within your company.
- Keep your employees current on company happenings — It’s important to keep your employees in the loop. Good relationships are built on communication. If your employees feel like they don’t understand the bigger picture, they’re not going to take an interest in doing their very best at their jobs and helping the company succeed. Your employees want to feel like they matter…like they’re really a part of the team. Communicate with them and keep them current on company happenings. That means you actually need to listen to them and use their feedback too.
What are some other things you do to keep your employees from becoming disgruntled? Share your best tips by commenting below.
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in press release writing and distribution. Download the free whitepaper The Ultimate Guide to Pinterest here: https://www.ereleases.com/insider/pinterest.html