Employees as customers is an idea most companies have never heard of. And most companies that have heard of it, haven’t thought about it.
If employees are a company’s most valuable asset, then the idea makes perfect sense. You should treat employees as customers, as if you were selling something to them. And actually, you do sell something to your employees.
Employees are customers
You could simplify this idea and say, “Employees buy money from their employers, with their time.” In other words the time you spend working acts as the payment for your salary, which is the product you buy.
But it’s not that simple. You don’t pay with just time. And you don’t only get money as a reward.
You often spend more than half of your time awake at work. Fortunately you get more than money for that. Or at least you should.
If you’re unable to provide other “products” (rewards) for your employees, they’ll go somewhere else. This is especially true of your most talented and motivated employees. Other companies are happy to give them more than just money.
What else do you sell to your employees
So, money isn’t the only “product” your employees want from you. Certainty, appreciation, purpose, relationships, growth, challenges, opportunities, the list goes on.
The customer is always right, and the law of demand states you must provide what your customers want. So, you need to provide what your employees want.
That’s true if you want your employees to do their best. It takes a fraction of a second from a customer to notice whether or not someone likes their job. And that reflects to how well they do their job.
An unmotivated employee won’t spend time learning new skills. They won’t find creative solutions to problems. And they have no reason to stay loyal to their employers.
What employees want
Here are the basics of what employees want from a job.
1. Money. Unless you employ millionaires who are only looking for experiences, you have to pay your employees enough. Note that “enough” isn’t the same as “the most”. Other factors play a larger role in choosing where to work once you get paid “enough”.
2. Certainty. One of the basic human needs is certainty. How much of it you need varies from person to person. But for most people, work is the one place that should offer fair amount of certainty.
3. Challenges. The opposite to certainty. A job that never challenges you, is boring. And a boring job is worse than an uncertain job, for most people at least.
4. Appreciation. Usually the best way to motivate employees, is to show appreciation. People usually work harder for a status increase than a raise.
5. Purpose. The most satisfying jobs are those that offer a purpose you believe in. Charities work only because they offer a purpose for their volunteers.
6. Growth. People generally want to grow as humans. For as long as your job makes you a better person, you’ll enjoy it. This is closely related to opportunities.
7. Opportunities. Not everybody wants to be the CEO. But most people like the possibility to be promoted. Or at least to have influence on what they do on a day-to-day basis.
8. Relationships. Some people like to work alone, but most want to have people around them. Stronger relationships at work usually increase productivity.
9. Rhythm. Since working takes so much of your time, it also creates a rhythm for you life. Most enjoy this, as it adds to the feeling of certainty.
Think of at least one way to offer more of each of the things on the list. You’re guaranteed to increase productivity through motivating employees more.
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