You may be familiar with the concept of “Tribes” – a reference to the fact that humanity evolved to be part of something more, that we tie our values and our identities to our larger family or tribe. Brand specialists understand that people buy your product to be part of a tribe.
As Simon Sinek points out, this is why someone would tattoo the Harley Davidson logo on them: it’s about the values they cherish. It means so much to them that they permanently put it on their body!
For more details, see Simon Sinek’s Interviews or book titled “Leaders Eat Last”
Similarly, people join companies as employees not merely to make a buck (though that is definitely part of the picture): many people work in a company because they want to be part of the business’s values. They want their efforts to forward the company values. “If I have to spend a third of my life working, at least I can forward a cause I believe in.” Hiring departments understand this, and design their job offerings around it.
People join values-driven companies to be a part of a family, part of a tribe gathered around shared values.
Our employees believe in our values. Do we?
If your company believes in its values and brand, people are coming to work for those values. Many are prior customers who have had a wonderful experience, and now want to further your business! They expect you to treat them in accordance to your values – and you, simply in the design of your brand, have promised to do just that.
Why is this so important? Because you will accidentally, unwittingly alienate your employees and they will bounce. They’ll get disenchanted (highly-emotional individuals may even feel betrayed). Because this operates at such a fundamental level in our evolutionary development, people will caution and warn others about “what the company really believes”. (This is the same behavior seen in early humanity, as we warned each other not to go to the watering hole because there was a pack of hyenas there this morning.)
The C-Suite, and all levels of management, must be attentive to this. In fact, it’s more important than ever that all levels of leadership pause to recognize the values of the business they are in. So how do we do this?
What can we do to increase our own awareness?
Pay attention to what your employees came for…and what you promised them. Examine your job postings and your internal communications, and ask yourself the following questions about your employees:
- Why are they here?
- What did they come for?
- What part of your value system got their foot in the door?
- What did you advertise to get them in as an employee?
- What did you say to get them hired?
- What words do you use when hiring?
- What values-based promises do you make?
- How do you describe your business culture and ethics?
This is a subtle yet radical shift: treat your employees as if they are as important as your customers. Ask them questions about how you’re doing. Do it with the intention of acting on their feedback:
Have you asked your employees lately if you’re living up to your brand values? Have you asked them if they feel your treatment of them is reflective of the company they came to work for? Have you asked if you are living up to the promises you made to get them in the door?
Bait-and-switch is a terrible thing for customers. Now imagine feeling like you’ve been bait-and-switched as an employee with your career and livelihood on the line.
Is that “on brand” for your business?
Ask your employees how you can do better. Ask for their advice. Ask for their ideas, for ways you can align with your vision. They believe in your vision and values, they’re here because of that: and they want to help. Trust them, assume they have the best positive intent, and leverage the most under-utilized change agent in your company.