It’s a tough time to be an employer. Recovering from the pandemic, increased costs of goods and the struggle to attract and retain employees has put increased pressure on employers. The reality is that the pandemic exposed an underlying problem in the business world: Too many companies have been focused on the wrong things for far too long. It’s been profits over people and today people have a new perspective on life and work.

The pandemic made people see that life is short. They realized that they spend a lot of time at work and they’d rather enjoy it than hate it. People discovered that they can have a say in how they are treated in their work environments and they want to be valued and appreciated.

Employers have to recognize that work is not just about the money. It isn’t about the job title. It really isn’t even about the job duties. What it is about is about is people feeling valued, respected, cared for as human beings and doing something they actually enjoy doing. It’s about fulfilling purpose, being part of something bigger and it is most definitely about treating people right…and up until now, not treating employees right has been acceptable.

For decades managers have been programmed to believe they didn’t have to treat employees well because there were other people that would happily take the place of displeased workers. But during COVID we experienced something... It was hard. It was new. Every day presented a different challenge to overcome. It was a situation beyond our control. We were all suffering and struggling in our own way, yet together. For the first time (maybe ever?) we saw each other’s pain points, we recognized each other’s problems and we had something to bond over.

Employers who cared about their people likely kept the majority of them. Some employers made safety and concern for their employees their utmost priority. Some didn’t.  Bosses who were quick to cut bait, harp on results and force production no matter the cost, helped their workers realize they don’t want to be treated that way.

It’s time to put PEOPLE FIRST in business! Employees are people, not things and they deserve to be treated as such. Employees are more than talents and output, they are human beings with needs, feelings, dreams and desires.

PEOPLE FIRST cannot be faked or forced. It deeper than that. It’s about changing the fabric of the organization by prioritizing relationships, helping employees succeed and creating positive work experiences. It’s the right way to treat people and I believe it is the solution to every employer crisis.