📓 do i matter?

Employees Want to Feel Like They Matter: 

True or false: Employees want to feel like they matter. 

TRUE!!! (Clearly why I’m writing this edition) 

But what does it mean to “matter”? 

Let’s start with a definition, my favorite. 

Matter (noun):  the substance of which a physical object is composed. 

Wait, no – we actually want a different form of that word. THE VERB. Didn’t think you’d get a casual grammar lesson in this newsletter did ya?!! I’m trying to keep you on your toes! 

Matter (verb): to be of importance. 

So how does one feel important?

TBH it’s much more than a title or a position because we all know getting that coveted title might not actually make you feel any more important. 

It’s about feeling:

• Seen: your work is noticed
• Heard: your thoughts are considered
• Valued: you work makes a difference
• Included: you feel like you belong

🔑 Feeling like you matter can be key to things like your identity, motivation and overall wellbeing. 

So, how do you get your employees to feel like they matter?

Well I have 3 areas to work on:

1. Recognition 
2. Belonging
3. Impact 

3 areas to work on: 

🏆 Recognition: 

Employees want their effort and work noticed. 

Recognition is how someone knows they are seen. 

You can do this by:

• Training your managers to give recognition regularly
• Encouraging your employees to recognize their peers
• Giving rewards with recognition like gifts (my fave!)
• Building internal company awards 

Whatever route you choose to go, remember that success shouldn’t be the only thing recognized. You can (AND YOU SHOULD) recognize progress. 

1 wish: I wish more organizations would acknowledge failures. Failure shouldn’t be scary – it should be encouraged. It’s through failure we learn and those moments should be destigmatized and viewed as progress regardless of the outcome. 

🤝 Belonging:

Employees want to feel like they fit in. 

Belonging is being welcomed for who you are and feeling like youare included.

You can foster belonging by:

• Creating safe spaces for various identities – think ERGs.
• Celebrating full identities like recognizing holidays, heritage months, or cultural celebrations.
• Incorporating connection into everything but especially onboarding.  Welcoming someone into your organization is a critical moment to say – you belong here.
• Holding leaders and employees accountable for non-inclusive behavior. 

I believe that this can be the hardest and most impactful work an HR team can do. It deserves at least 10 newsletters because this little section doesn’t do the topic justice. 

BTW: Employees will feel like they don’t belong when the environment tells them that they don’t. If you are truly committed to showing your employees they matter you have to be open to exploring the subtle or even direct ways you may be saying “you don’t belong here.” 

💥 Impact: 

Employees want to know their work matters.

Impact can be how employees understand their work is valued. 

Impact can be understood by:

• Setting clear goals and showing employees how their work contributes to that goal
• Giving employees visibility in how their work impacted certain outcomes. Think: what happened / what changed
• Sharing success stories about outcomes

Every employee should be able to answer what is the impact of their work? If they can’t connect the dots – there’s a huge opportunity to make a difference in their ability to feel like they matter. 

Bring it all back: 

Employees will feel like they matter when they’re seen for who they are, included in the environment, and valued for the difference they make.

Recognition, belonging and impact are all intertwined and can have significant impact on things like engagement, wellbeing, and productivity. 

At the end of the day each of those bullets above could be a project that takes an entire quarter and will require the partnership of everyone across the org, not just HR.  

But setting the foundation for employees to feel like they matter? 

Absolutely worth it.

Up next:

When employees feel like they matter, they’re also motivated to do better work. 

But something a lot of folks don’t really understand? HOW to motivate employees. 

So next week, I’m digging into motivation and what employees want when it comes to that!

Spoiler alert: we all want different things. 🙂

And that’s what makes this job fun.