Commitment in times of the Employee Market - easier said than done?
The most important asset of a company...
Good employees bring the company to life. That's why retaining them over the long term is a key objective for companies. The success of a company can often be measured by the people who work in it. However, with the ever-advancing digital transformation and Generation Z, who are reluctant to be retained for the long term, recruiting new professionals is becoming an ever-increasing hurdle. We are in an age of the employee market, so new demands and constant change processes in all areas, companies face unexpected challenges.
Commitment as the key to promoting your employees?
What does commitment mean?
Commitment literally means binding or obligation but can also be understood as commitment or readiness for action. There is no clear definition of this term in the literature, as it is viewed from different angles and can be defined differently accordingly.
With so many approaches and differences, the question for companies is how this knowledge can be used to promote commitment. Important processes that contribute to the further development of moral awareness include open confrontation with social problems, appreciation, attention and support, informal communication and cooperation, and appropriate allocation and attribution of responsibility. Affective commitment in particular is strongly influenced and shaped by concrete work experiences. Central experience dimensions that promote commitment are competence experience and well-being. The degree of participation also has an influence on commitment. This includes, for example, continuous participation in organizational and corporate decision-making. This effect is based on organizational democracy research. The greater the opportunity and competence to participate in decision-making, the higher the level of identification. This creates the feeling of making an important contribution to success.
Keep your goals in mind...
The goals of commitment are divided into three levels - the individual, company and social levels. The individual level describes that employees who identify to a high degree with the values and goals of their company are more satisfied, feel less stress at work and achieve higher performance. At the individual level, a high level of commitment can also reduce uncertainty. At the operational level, or organizational level, the primary goal of retention can be said to be the creation of a long-term pool of personnel and the securing of a company's existence that this makes possible. At the societal level, the focus can be described on the goal of increasing the performance of the national economy, that of prosperity and the development of international competitiveness. The primary goal of commitment is satisfied employees who would like to remain with the company and are interested in their work. A committed and satisfied employee will rarely actively look for alternatives on the labor market. The benefits of high commitment for companies are enormous. Aspects such as greater willingness to perform, lower absenteeism and higher motivation can be seen as a win-win situation at both the company and the individual level.
How to keep them motivated - how to increase the commitment
of your employees:
1. Define your goals
A clearly defined company goal helps your employees make better decisions.
2. Work-life balance
Don't forget how valuable your employees are to you. Accordingly, it is even more important to counteract periods of stress with enough rest. Work-life balance is becoming increasingly important to create a healthy balance.
3. Changes?
Your employees should be well aware of your corporate identity. Integrate them regularly in decisions that are relevant to the company. Thoughts and emotions will be understood and implemented on both sides.
4. Regular feedback
Constructive feedback is what makes a company grow continuously. Suggestions for improvement, challenges or plans for the future - all these are important factors that should be included here.
"Commitment is an act, not a word." - Jean-Paul Sartre
Conclusion
Especially now, in times of the employee market, it is even more important that companies again attach more importance to the identification of their individual employees and increase the commitment. Today's generation does not want to be tied to a company simply because they have to be. They want to be an important part of it and constantly develop further. A long-term commitment of employees to a company creates a multitude of benefits for both sides. Companies create added value for themselves through motivated, hard-working and loyal employees. On the other hand, employees also benefit from a long-term commitment, e.g., they experience more appreciation and trust and have more security.