Be the Employer People Still Talk About When They Can’t Remember the Work
My grandma recently turned 94. That is 94 years of life, change, resilience, family and memories.
It made me think about how different employment would have been when she first entered the workforce.
Workplaces were more rigid. There were no conversations about employee experience, psychological safety, flexible work or becoming an Employer of Choice.
You went to work. You did your job. You went home.
The workplace has changed significantly since then, but the reason work matters has not.
It is the people. The actual “human” in Human Resources.
But one thing remains true: work is only one part of an employee’s life.
Behind every employee is a person managing responsibilities, relationships, health concerns, financial pressures, family milestones and challenges their employer may never see.
Every Employee Has a Story
When someone walks into work, they do not leave the rest of their life at the door.
They may be caring for an ageing parent.
They may have been awake all night with a sick child.
They may be quietly celebrating something special or carrying a challenge they have not shared with anyone.
They are an employee, but they are also a partner, parent, grandparent, child, friend and member of a community.
Work is important, but it is only one part of their story.
As employers, we may not know everything happening in an employee’s life. Nor do we always need to.
But we can choose to lead with respect, fairness and humanity.
What Will Your Employees Remember?
Think about the workplaces you have been part of.
Your employees may not remember every deadline they met. They may forget the targets they achieved, the meetings they attended or the tasks they completed.
But they will remember:
- How you treated them during a difficult time
- Whether they felt safe speaking up
- Whether their contribution was appreciated
- Whether expectations were fair and clear
- Whether their manager listened
- Whether they felt like a person, or simply a resource
Take a moment and think about your own working life. Which employer do you remember most and why?
Was it the salary, the office or the job title? Or was it how that workplace made you feel?
That is what workplace culture really is.
It is not the values displayed on the office wall. It is the experience people have when they work with you.
Your EVP Is More Than a Recruitment Message
Your Employer Value Proposition, or EVP, is the promise you make about what it means to work for your business.
It may help you attract candidates, but it must also match the experience employees have after they join.
If your recruitment messaging promises support, flexibility and development, but employees experience poor communication, inconsistent decisions and little recognition, that promise quickly loses credibility.
Your EVP exists across the entire employee lifecycle:
- How you design the role
- How you recruit and onboard people
- How managers communicate expectations
- How performance and workplace concerns are handled
- How employees are supported to develop
- How people are treated when they leave
What you say attracts people. What they experience determines whether they stay, perform and recommend you to others.
Being Human Does Not Mean Avoiding Accountability
A people-first workplace still needs expectations, boundaries and honest conversations.
There will be times when performance needs to improve, behaviour must be addressed or a difficult decision has to be made.
The human element is found in how you handle those moments.
You can be clear without being cruel.
You can hold someone accountable without taking away their dignity.
You can make a difficult business decision while still recognising that another person’s life will be affected by it.
That is where leadership becomes more than a position title.
What Story Are You Creating?
Being an Employer of Choice does not always require expensive benefits or elaborate wellbeing programs.
Often, it is built through smaller moments:
- A manager taking the time to listen
- A genuine thank you
- Flexibility during a difficult week
- Clear and respectful feedback
- A fair opportunity to improve
- Following through on a promise
- Treating someone well when they leave
These moments become the employee experience.
The employee experience becomes your reputation.
And your reputation becomes the reason people choose to join, stay with or recommend your business.
People may eventually forget the work they did for you.
They may forget the projects, systems and deadlines.
But they will remember how your workplace made them feel.
My grandma’s 94th birthday reminded me that a working life is only one part of a much bigger human story.
As an employer, you have the opportunity to become a positive part of that story.
Be the employer people still talk about long after they have forgotten the work.
At Integrated People Solutions, we help businesses put the “human” back into Human Resources through practical systems, capable leadership and workplaces built on:
Clarity. Capability. Confidence.
What story will your employees tell about working for you?
If you are looking for a HR Consultant, Tailored Recruitment or Payroll support, we service the following areas:
Whittlesea, Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Nillumbik in Victoria
Suburbs we service in Whittlesea
Beveridge, Bundoora, Donnybrook, Doreen, Epping, Lalor, Mernda, Mill Park, South Morang, Thomastown, Whittlesea, Wollert, Woodstock, Yan Yean
Suburbs we service in Darebin
Bundoora, Coburg, Coburg North, Fairfield, Keon Park, Kingsbury, Macleod, Northcote, Preston, Reservoir and Thornbury
Suburbs we service in Hume
Broadmeadows, Bulla, Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Craigieburn, Fawkner, Gladstone Park, Greenvale, Jacana, Kalkallo, Keilor, Meadow Heights, Melbourne Airport, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park, Somerton, Sunbury, Tullamarine, and Westmeadows
Suburbs we service in Nillumbik
Doreen, Eltham, Eltham North, Greensborough, Hurstbridge
We service Australia Wide
Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania
Contact Us: (03) 7076 1567 or email hr@integratedpeoplesolutions.com.au
Discover more from Integrated People Solutions
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.