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Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Wednesday, 15 February 2012 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Honesty can be frightening, but it’s also the release valve that prevents problems from building up into untenable pressure. Great leaders spend a great deal of time thinking about whom they put on their team and how to get the best out of those employees. The more challenging the subject, the more important it is to put oneself in the employee’s place.
Employee expectations gone awry can practically be spotted from helicopter miles away. The tension becomes so thick it changes the air. Anxiety spreads. Alliances form. A mutiny brews. At the failing end of the 
communication spectrum, the workplace resembles a Survivor tribal council.
Does it have to be that way?
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Effective communication can give the workplace a friendly atmosphere where employees are comfortable and can focus on doing what they do best. To get there, executive coaches advise a grounded communication approach that’s equal parts clarity, empathy and honesty.
Towards the later part of the twentieth century there was an evolution of thought about what an employee expected from an employer in the workplace. Prior generations had been happy to have a job to support the family.
The employer was considered benevolent if the workplace provided a reasonable expectation of job security, a living wage, opportunity for over time, adequate working conditions, personal loyalty to workers, vacation and some benefits (i.e. medical insurance and/or pension plan).
The employer was perceived to have the upper hand in decision making for the company. In some industries unions helped the employers become more benevolent. The workplace conversation almost never ventured into the topic of employee expectation.
Business climate change
Enter the 1990s with the technology explosion, stock market escalation, proliferation of small businesses, and female power in the workplace. The conversation began to change. Employers found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Higher education became more available to the average person.
New industries demanded different skill sets than the previous industrial and manufacturing businesses. More service jobs required proficient soft skill sets formerly considered “manners or social etiquette” by employers. Employee retention became a business concern. Prospective employees began interviewing employers and shopping around for the best personal fit.
The current business climate is fragile at best and volatile at worst. Employers and employees are doing a furtive dance, each speculatively pacing as to not show the other the next step. Neither is capable of performing efficiently without the other. In an imperfect world balance is the key to harmony, success and profits. How can employer expectations and employee needs find the synergy to create balance in the workplace?
There have been numerous surveys, studies, books and articles written by human resource professionals and consultants that have concluded employee satisfaction and employer expectations share more similarities than differences. The balance lies in listening to one another’s concerns and proceeding collaboratively.
Mitigating the issue
Consider the following lists of expectations that have appeared on both employee and employer lists:
Even though the expectations are not categorised in order, it is important to note that money is not the top expectation for either employee or employer.
What are the top five expectations of employees from employers?
1.Challenging work: Employees want to do work that makes a difference. They want to know that their work makes a difference; that they are not just “cogs” in the wheel.
2.Personal growth: Employees want their skills to grow and develop. They also want the company to invest in their development. The best companies invest in their people.
3.Work/life balance: Employees want balance in their life. They want a company to understand that their family life is very important. In other words, employees want not only to “work hard” but also “play hard”.
4.Positive environment: Employees do not want to work in a “stressful, negative” environment. This type of environment breeds contempt along with a political mindset. It will also create insecurity in their minds and then, any mischief minded internal or external force can make use of these persons to revolt.
5.Honesty: Employees want to know where they stand. They want a manager who will open and approachable and a company that will tell them the truth. Employees are resilient. Trust them.
Expectations of employees
The people contribute their skill, their knowledge and their commitment to the workplace. In return, they can realistically expect to:
Have tolerable and safe working conditions
A psychological contract represents the mutual beliefs, perceptions, and informal obligations between an employer and an employee. It sets the dynamics for the relationship and defines the detailed practicality of the work to be done. It is distinguishable from the formal written contract of employment which, for the most part, only identifies mutual duties and responsibilities in a generalised form.
The reality of employment rights and duties emerges through the interpersonal relationships formed in the workplace. How employers, supervisors and managers behave on a day-to-day basis is not determined by the legal contract.
(The writer is the Managing Director & CEO, McQuire Rens & Jones (Pvt) Ltd. He has held Regional Responsibilities of two Multinational Companies of which one, Smithkline Beecham International, was a Fortune 500 company before merging to become GSK. He carries out consultancy assignments and management training in Dubai, India, Maldives, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Nalin has been consultant to assignments in the CEB, Airport & Aviation Services and setting up the PUCSL. He is a much sought-after business consultant and corporate management trainer in Sri Lanka. He has won special commendation from the UN Headquarters in New York for his record speed in re-profiling and re-structuring the UNDP. He has lead consultancy assignments for the World Bank and the ADB. Nalin is an executive coach to top teams of several multinational and blue chip companies. He is a Director on the Board of Entrust Securities Plc.)
Employees slowly negotiate what they must do to satisfy their side of the bargain, and what they can expect in return. This negotiation is sometimes explicit, e.g. in appraisal or performance review sessions, but it more often takes the form of behavioural action and reaction through which the parties explore and draw the boundaries of mutual expectation. Hence, the psychological contract determines what the parties will, or will not do and how it will be done.
When the parties’ expectations match each other, performance is likely to be good and satisfaction levels will be high. So long as the values and loyalty persist, trust and commitment will be maintained. The map followed by the parties is the development of an individualised career path that makes only reasonable demands on the employee, with adequate support from managers and co-workers, for a level of remuneration that is demonstrably fair for a person of that age, educational background, and experience. Motivation and commitment will be enhanced if transfers and promotions follow the agreed path in a timely fashion.
If managed effectively, the relationship will foster mutual trust between the parties, matching the objectives and commitments of the organisation to those of their employees. But a negative psychological contract can result in employees becoming disenchanted, de-motivated and resentful of authoritarianism within the organisation. This will result in an increasingly inefficient workforce whose objectives no longer correspond to the organisation they work for.
The main cause of disappointment tends to be that middle managers are protective of their status and security in the eyes of their superiors, and this can introduce conflicts of interest when they are required to fulfil their obligations to their subordinates.
Breach of the psychological contract
Psychological contract breach may occur if employees perceive that their firm, or its agents, have failed to deliver on what they perceive was promised, or vice versa. Employees or employers who perceive a breach are likely to respond negatively. Responses may occur in the form of reduced loyalty, commitment, and organisational citizenship behaviours.
Perceptions that once psychological contract has been breached may arise shortly after the employee joins the company or even after years of satisfactory service. The impact may be localised and contained, but if morale is more generally affected, the performance of the organisation may be diminished.
Further, if the activities of the organisation are perceived as being unjust or immoral, e.g. aggressive downsizing or outsourcing causing significant unemployment, its public reputation and brand image may also be damaged. Manager–subordinate mismatch may also cause a breach of the psychological contract.
What are workplace expectations?
Workplace expectations are actions or events you consider likely to happen either now or in the future. Certain expectations, such as salary, hours, and job duties are clear-cut and usually understood by both the employee and the employer.
How to set clear employee expectations
Setting goals in the workplace provides direction for both supervisors and employees. Setting clear employee expectations is a key component in employee performance management. The key is working with your employees and ensuring they understand your vision every step of the way. Your staff needs to know what to expect from themselves, from you and from each other.
Explain, in detail, what you expect of your workers. All employees receive job descriptions with a list of job responsibilities. However, these descriptions can become outdated quickly in today’s dynamic business environment. Employee performance management requires that you continually update and communicate expectations. A sign that a manager is improving his/her leadership development is how well he/she shares these expectations.
Communicate what employees can expect from you as a part of the management team. Managers may find that they need to be different things to different employees. The needs of new hires will be vastly different from those of long-time employees. The one thing all team members need is clear idea of what they can expect from their manager.
Inform employees of what colleagues can expect from one another. A large part of leadership development or management training is how well you work in a team environment. In order for teams to work well, each member needs to know what both individual and group expectations are. This is essential in coordinating work on projects.
One of the greatest ways of motivating an employee is by defining your expectations. Having strong communication and clear direction will help employees understand exactly what you aim to accomplish.
Put yourself in the shoes of an employee who receives partial and/or confusing directions from the boss. Desperately wanting to do an outstanding job and prove his or her worth, the employee does the best job possible based on incomplete information, only to come up short.
The unfortunate result is that the boss is not pleased with the work and the employee is frustrated and experiences a sense of defeat.
To get and keep an employee motivated, aim to provide clearly defined work objectives, specific requirements and deadlines.
Additionally, if you’re the one in charge, communicate any changes or new requirements to the employee immediately. When assigning a task to an employee, rather than just say, “Here, I need this done by 5:00 p.m.” or “please handle,” make sure the employee understands the importance, desired outcome, and reasoning associated with the task.
Many employees have no idea why they are working on a specific project other than that their employer has asked them to.
By defining the expectations as well as benefits and consequences of tasks and assignments, employees are likely to take greater ownership of a task and feel both valued and motivated.
How to communicate employee expectations
Start off right in your first interview with a potential employee. Incorporate a detailed description of the mental and physical demands, the expected schedule and the kind of work environment into the job interview process. You will also need to cover topics like job priorities and accountability in your interview.
Provide this information in multiple formats once an employee enters the workplace. From the welcome packet and introductory meeting to the employee manual, you should reiterate what will be expected in clear language.
Create an environment in which questions are welcomed. You should strive to create an atmosphere in which employees feel they can ask you for clarification on what is expected of them.
Talk openly about what kind of job stress your employees may experience, and equip them with tools to deal effectively with this stress when it arises. Simple exercises, such as deep breathing, counting to 10 before reacting or recognising when a “time out” from a given situation is necessary, can help your staff be more productive.
Don’t limit your communication regarding expectations to personnel assessment time. Take the time to discuss your expectations with your staff on a regular and frequent basis, outside of regularly scheduled reviews.
Communicate clearly by staying on message when you meet with your staff. If you expect your employees to work additional hours or volunteer for off-site work, don’t pull their focus by discussing details of an upcoming party or holiday event.
Deliver your message in a format that makes sense for your company. This may be in the form of casual office meetings, emails or even formal company meetings.
Improve your communication skills by adapting public speaking techniques to your company’s message. Employees will respond to and incorporate your expectations better if you deliver them in a concise and engaging manner.
(The writer is the Managing Director & CEO, McQuire Rens & Jones (Pvt) Ltd. He has held Regional Responsibilities of two Multinational Companies of which one, Smithkline Beecham International, was a Fortune 500 company before merging to become GSK. He carries out consultancy assignments and management training in Dubai, India, Maldives, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Nalin has been consultant to assignments in the CEB, Airport & Aviation Services and setting up the PUCSL. He is a much sought-after business consultant and corporate management trainer in Sri Lanka. He has won special commendation from the UN Headquarters in New York for his record speed in re-profiling and re-structuring the UNDP. He has lead consultancy assignments for the World Bank and the ADB. Nalin is an executive coach to top teams of several multinational and blue chip companies. He is a Director on the Board of Entrust Securities Plc.)
