The Top 10 Things Employees Want From Their Boss

What is it that employees want from their boss? Leadership is a high-contact sport. It takes time and effort. In our study of the best leaders, we found that they are consistent and passionate in their engagement of employees. This is true of CEOs and first-time supervisors.

Unfortunately, according to management derailment studies, 50% of today’s managers fail. The Conference Board reports that 55% of employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, which is a record high. And the #1 reason employees dislike their jobs is that they hate their boss. Therefore, there seems to be a problem here, wouldn’t you agree? As former IBM CEO Louis Gerstner once said, “People should fear the competition, not their boss.”

After working with over 500,000 managers across the globe, here is what we have seen the “Superstar” leaders do. This is what employees want from their boss.

5 Things Employees Want from their Boss

1. Clear Expectations and Goals
   Give your employees focus and a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Always remember, this is not a one-time event.
2. Recognition
   Focus on employees’ strengths and praise them toward higher levels of performance. The better people feel about what they do, the more they want to do well.
3. Communication
   As simple as it sounds, keep people informed as a team and aware as individuals. This means that you need to communicate through meetings, one on ones, and technology. Also, stay positive and demonstrate empathy.
4. Growth
   People become more motivated when they can develop their skills. Be sure to delegate and give your people ample opportunity to expand their capabilities in other areas. Coach effectively and regularly, so that your team always knows where they stand.
5. Trust
   Follow through on your commitments, be genuine and conduct business in an ethical manner. There are way too many examples of disreputable leaders in the media. Do not be one of them.  Above all, remember, trust creates employee engagement.

5 More Things Employees Want from their Boss

6. Responsibility
   People want to be great and if they are not, managers are usually the obstacles. Too many managers micromanage and do not let people do their jobs. Certainly, give clear expectations, train effectively and coach regularly. Coach them when they have problems. In addition, let people own their jobs,  do not micromanage.
7. Respect
   80% of employees say they do not get respect on the job. Do not have secrets, do not intentionally instill fear in people, and do not treat employees like children. Be as open and honest as you can. Listen effectively and treat everyone fairly. Consequently, you earn respect by giving respect.
8. Pride in the Work
   Most people want to do a good job. This fuels self-motivation and pride. Create a positive upbeat working environment. Study how to do this and it will pay significant dividends for your employees and you.
9. Learning
   Ongoing training is a must to maintain current job skills, but even more importantly to add to them. Fortune’s annual list of the world’s best companies shows that the best companies give employees 40-60 hours of training each year.
10. Achievement
    People want to win and can achieve incredible results. Work hard to align people with the right role where they can succeed, Avoid changing direction indiscriminately. Give them challenging goals. Also, give them tools to succeed.

Pulling It All Together

In conclusion, we have found that the best leaders get all the above done because they care about the success of their employees. When people know and see that you care, they will do almost anything for you. Meet your employee wants and needs and watch what happens. What is the payoff for following through on these actions?

• Higher employee satisfaction and productivity
• Lower employee turnover
• Better internal teamwork and communication
• Increased employee morale and commitment
• Improved customer service, sales, and quality
• Career advancement and success

In summary, if you want your people to be better, you must be better as a leader. These ten areas will help you to increase your performance. Furthermore, exceed what you employee want and need to succeed.

Also, do you want more ideas on how to inspire your team? Check this out this eBook-How to Motivate-NO-Inspire People.

In addition, go here for our RealTime Learning & Training leadership and personal development website. Micro-learning and career advancement at your fingertips!

Finally, do you want to accelerate your leadership success? Go here for Rick’s Superstar Leadership eBook.