July Newsletter: Happy Independence Day to You and Yours

I hope this mid-summer check-in finds you kicking back in a comfy lounge chair with a cold refreshment and a soft breeze.

In honor of Independence Day, this newsletter will cover the popular idea of “unbossing,” why employees need more freedom from their managers, and how to encourage your employees to take more time for themselves. Read on.

Your employees need independence.

Let’s talk about how to give your employees a little more independence — and why it matters. The latest in the lexicon of HR terms is unbossing, the idea of enabling employees and teams to manage themselves.  It’s an emphasis on giving employees autonomy and flexibility around the ways they work, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have a boss.

The more you enable your employees to make decisions around their jobs — when, how, and where they work — the more receptive they’ll be to your leadership style. In other words, micromanagement is out, and hands-off, empowering management is in.

Your employees need more freedom from their managers.

Ask a manager how they’re doing at their job, and they’ll respond positively. Ask their employees. You might get a different answer. A new Gallup survey found a huge disparity between the two sets of opinions.

- While 72% of managers say they respond to all messages within 24 hours, only 51% of employees agree

- 69% of managers think they give great feedback; half of employees agree

- 53% of managers consider themselves approachable. Only 45% of employees agree

You get the picture.

The verdict? Managers need more training. And in some cases, companies need…. different managers. As a recruiter at Rose Talent Consulting, I can help you find managers who will help close the gap between employee expectations and manager self-awareness.

Must-reads for this month

• On HR Brew: On health needs, employers are trusted most, according to new report

• On Inc.: 8 in 10 Employers Have Lost Talent to RTO Policies

• From Reuters: Workers view work-life balance as more important than pay, study finds

Your employees need time off, too.

Summertime is vacation time. So why aren’t your employees taking PTO? 80% of employees don’t take full advantage of their allotted paid time off.

Maybe it’s because they’re actually “quiet vacationing” — the term for remote employees taking “hush trips” without actually claiming vacation days. They’re answering the phone and staying on top of email, but they’re doing it from Bora Bora or a campsite in a National Park. 

According to one Resume Builder survey, a lot of them are just too nervous to actually take time off. And Tiffany Slater, founder of St. Louis-based virtual HR services company HR TailorMade (in Inc.), says, "Leaders rarely take vacation. They work very long hours. So they're not demonstrating to their team members that taking time off is actually of value."

Company culture starts at the top. If you’re in charge, the best thing you can do for your employees this summer is… take vacation!

And if you need help with your hiring, let’s talk when you get back. 

Brylye Collins

Rose Talent Consulting