Happy Independence Day to You and Yours
Hope this mid-summer check-in finds you kicking back in a comfy lounge chair with a cold refreshment and a soft breeze.
In honor of Independence Day, this newsletter will cover the popular idea of “unbossing,” why employees need more freedom from their managers, and how to encourage your employees to take more time for themselves. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗻.
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
Let’s talk about how to give your employees a little more independence — and why it matters. The latest in the lexicon of HR terms is unbossing, the idea of enabling employees and teams to manage themselves. It’s an emphasis on giving employees autonomy and flexibility around the ways they work, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have a boss.
The more you enable your employees to make decisions around their jobs — when, how, and where they work — the more receptive they’ll be to your leadership style. In other words, micromanagement is out, and hands-off, empowering management is in.
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀
Ask a manager how they’re doing at their job, and they’ll respond positively. Ask their employees. You might get a different answer. A new Gallup survey found a huge disparity between the two sets of opinions.
While 72% of managers say they respond to all messages within 24 hours, only 51% of employees agree
69% of managers think they give great feedback; half of employees agree
53% of managers consider themselves approachable. Only 45% of employees agree
You get the picture.
The verdict? Managers need more training. And in some cases, companies need…. different managers. As a recruiter at KIP Search, I can help you find managers who will help close the gap between employee expectations and manager self-awareness.
𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵
On HR Brew: On health needs, employers are trusted most, according to new report
From Reuters: Workers view work-life balance as more important than pay, study finds
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳, 𝘁𝗼𝗼
Summertime is vacation time. So why aren’t your employees taking PTO? 80% of employees don’t take full advantage of their allotted paid time off.
Maybe it’s because they’re actually “𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨” — the term for remote employees taking “hush trips” without actually claiming vacation days. They’re answering the phone and staying on top of email, but they’re doing it from Bora Bora or a campsite in a National Park.
According to one Resume Builder survey, a lot of them are just too nervous to actually take time off. And Tiffany Slater, founder of St. Louis-based virtual HR services company HR TailorMade (in Inc.), says, "Leaders rarely take a vacation. They work very long hours. So they're not demonstrating to their team members that taking time off is actually of value."
Company culture starts at the top. If you’re in charge, the best thing you can do for your employees this summer is… take a vacation!
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.