Entitlement

During the training I did this week with a Human Resources department, there were some discussions about their biggest challenge these days. They turn out to be just finding reasonably reliable employees who will show up on time and do a reasonably good job.

Turnover is a major issue with these folks, but I know it can vary based on the specific type of business. Fundamentally, the higher-paying and hardest-to-get jobs almost never turn over, because those who are lucky enough to land them hang on for dear life. But most companies don't offer those types of jobs.

There's a strong feeling of entitlement among American workers in general these days. HR people I work with tell me that, especially people of color, expect to be given preference for the best openings regardless of their qualifications. They are often hostile to supervisors who ask them for a little more effort or to perform a task they don't like. They feel entitled to take a day off whenever they like, without consequence even if they fail to call.

There are plenty of applicants who ask for higher-paying supervisory, managerial, or professional positions they have absolutely no qualifications to perform. Somehow these people get the idea that they are owed these positions, maybe because of perceived past discrimination or maybe because there has been such a recent trend of giving preferences to employee classes. They reason that, even though they have no knowledge or experience in that management position, they can simply have their departmental employees teach them about the job. What a strange idea.

Don't assume that employers are without blame in these situations. They like to play games to keep their payrolls low, from hiring illegals; to classifying employees as part-time to avoid providing benefits but then scheduling them for 40 hours every week; to paying the lowest possible hourly wage; to cheating employees of work breaks and overtime; to many other little tricks that constantly seek a few more dollars on the corporate bottom line (and the manager's bonus) on the backs of the front line employees. And HR department people deplore and fight against these practices, albeit unsuccessfully.

The basic trends today are that corporate managers consider their front-line employees to be commodities, and don't view them as assets to leverage for their company's success. Front-line employees in turn pick up quickly on this attitude and develop their own version of the attitude of getting over on management by receiving the highest possible compensation for the least possible effort.

I've recently begun to wonder whether there are any great companies left out there. Companies who recognize the value of motivated and dedicated employees, and the high cost of turnover. Companies who take care of employees' needs by paying good salaries, providing quality benefits, and sharing profits to foster a culture of teamwork and loyalty. Companies who focus on efficiencies and productivity rather than constantly scheming to squeeze more dollars from their workers.

If by some miracle my tiny little company were to grow into a decent-sized operation, what I can guarantee is that I will never forget these lessons: Treat every employee as an individual asset, encourage and reward hard work and productivity, and insist on a culture fostering loyalty and teamwork.