DO YOU THINK NEW Employees ARE Lazy?

As a business owner do you find yourself ready to pull your hair out? Frustrated with new employees you hire who seem to be lazy, uninspired, and less dedicated? Are you sick of people booking off sick for seemingly ridiculous reasons like... "my dog just had surgery" or leaving their jobs after only a year? 
Let's examine just what is happening with our new workforce:

Over and over when I meet business owners and introduce them to my new book Knowing Who You Lead-understanding why issues occur, one of the first questions I am asked is "Do you have a chapter on why they are soooo lazy? How am I supposed to run my business when I can't rely on them?"

Here are some of the answers, and STRATEGIES businesses can use to ease the stress and re-define what is viewed as laziness.

Issue #1- Staying in the SAME Job
We have had a fundamental shift in what people value. For many business owners this is a key point of frustration. They complain that "New employees don't seem to have any loyalty. They just come for a year or two and leave. They are always looking for the next best thing. They are not committed, and they don't care". 

The Reality:
Our youth have been raised with possibility and options. As children they were offered dozens and dozens of extra-curricular activity options. They could try one for a season and then move onto a new one - football, soccer, lacrosse, play the guitar, take a dance class, go snowboarding, do some pottery,  and then join cadets. We encouraged them to chase their passion and explore the world. High schools offer specialized programs and international exchanges. Post secondary school has become a time of exploration and students often change majors or try multiple programs. 
When students enter the workforce with the same philosophy. "Let me try it out, see what I think, learn something, and then potentially move on".

Different Approach:
As business owners, the first step is to acknowledge this change in work philosophy. Instead of defining it as a "lack of loyalty" it helps to view it as a "need for potential growth". Often employees will leave if they don't see themselves growing or learning new things. 

• Goal Setting: Often employers are astounded to find out an employee is leaving. They didn't realize that their cashier had an interest in payroll or was looking for a leadership role. Employers need to ensure they are doing performance evaluations that include goal setting in order to learn more about employee aspirations. There may be ways to add elements or training to the current role that will encourage the member to stay with your organization. 

 

• Offer Job Rotation: Build interest in other positions within your organization. If you want to support succession planning, and retention, job rotation is a GREAT way to inspire interest. Allow employees the chance to mentor with someone in another role to learn more about it. Create programs that encourage mentors and employees to engage in conversation and training. Even though the position may not be immediately available, employees enjoy learning about potential new opportunities. 

Issue #2- Boredom 
Over and over employees tell me " They didn't appreciate the skills I have. I have experience in marketing, but all they wanted me to do was admin work". In many cases employees leave a work force to utilize skills that would have been beneficial to their existing employer. 

Utilize Skill Sets:
Employees have been told to tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. Often this means they have skills and experience business owners are unaware of. Ironically, they may actually have skills that are unfilled in an empty job posting. 

• Post Hire Discussion- During the orientation of a new employee, encourage them to tell you about experiences that are NOT on their resume. You may discover they have worked in other fields, have other degrees, or dabble in hobbies that could be beneficial to your business. 

 

• Encouraging Ideas- During team meetings encourage employees to offer ideas and innovative ways to accomplish needed goals. Ask them to "think outside the box" and explain how they may be able to help. Suddenly your admin assistance may be bringing up some GREAT marketing ideas you need for your next product release campaign. 

 

• Contract Work-Offer the option to diversify job descriptions and responsibilities for temporary contract work, or additional roles. Business owners should re-examine roles and make them fit the skill sets of the people you have working for you. Don't waste talent... otherwise it will walk out the door. 

Issue #3- Differing Priorities 
While it may seem ridiculous for an employee to book off sick because their dog had surgery, it makes complete sense to them. People are no longer willing to drop everything for work. Employees tell me  " I work to live, I don't live to work. I want to have time with family, and sometimes I just need a day off". 
Rather than allowing this to become a source of frustration, employers need to try a new approach.

Offer Ability to Plan Time Off
Although it may seem initially frustrating to accept that employees will book off more than previous workers did, allowing for employees to openly let you know about their plans may help.

• Acknowledge the ​Use It or Lose It Philosophy- In days gone by employees would retire with 100's hours of unused sick leave and vacation time. Their rationale was "I just didn't have time to take them. We had too many things to get done". While noble and a great way to express company loyalty, the newer generation of workers defines this as "a poor work life balance". Additionally if they are part of a unionized sector that has bargained for sick days and additional vacation allotment, it makes even less sense to them financially to "lose that money because you didn't take the days off".

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• Plan for Days Off- If you know employees are going to book off, then ask for their assistance in planning the time off. Often employees know months in advance "I am going to use a sick day to attend that wedding". If you have open and non-punitive discussions with them, it will allow business owners to plan for shortages and reallocate workload.

 

• Negotiation- Employees are willing to often negotiate time off (maybe not for the wedding, but certainly for a day off to shop or go visiting). By involving them in the work plans, and share project deadlines, employees will be more willing to work with their employer to negotiate for time off or re-vamp how they schedule their dog's surgery.

Changing Your Perspective 
Although the employees of today may not MATCH your ideal perception of a DEDICATED employee, they are still very valuable. In many cases, when I am asked the question "why are employees sooo lazy" the answer really lies in "so what are you doing to engage them?". By trying new approaches, and meeting their needs for professional growth, utilizing and enhancing their skills, trying out new jobs, and having a health work-life balance, business owners are having more success in retaining their employees. 

To learn more about author Carrie-Lynn Hotson, her HR consultancy business , and her new book Knowing Who You Lead, ​visit her website www.inspiringorganizationalgrowth.co/home