Do you feel that loyalty is only about employee’s long stay with the company?

Do you feel that loyalty is only about employee’s long stay with the company?

Loyalty is a strong word and holds a lot of importance when it is linked to employee serving a company. An employer will be a proud employer if he has a big work force of loyal people. Most of us feel that employees who stay for long with the company are the loyal employees. But is loyalty only about long stay & what does an employer do to produce increasing loyal work force?

Providing more and more monetary benefits in form of incentives, perks and salaries will be of not much help if we are talking about loyalty. These can only increase their performance. It is not necessary that a high performer is also a loyal employee. A high performer who is motivated with monetary benefits is a non-reliable employee for the organisation as he can be motivated by such benefits and can leave the organisation for higher pay structures. In that case we can not call him a loyal employee.

Loyalty is surely linked to high productivity from employees and their dedication to work because being loyal is directly related to efforts put in by an employee towards increasing its profits or its brand name in the market. Hence loyalty gives us good work force who thinks about and gives respect to his employer for the opportunity extended to them by the employer to learn, earn, grow and give.

Loyalty is an aspect which is less explored by few of the organisations because in the end if organisation is having good performers who are giving the company required revenues then loyalty becomes a less important factor towards the growth. In fact few companies look at it like this that if employees stay long with the company then company might have to provide them with salary raise every next year which may not justify the cost to profit ratio for that particular position in long run. Even if they are thought of being promoted to next level with salary raise not all the employees would fit into that promotion criterion. So they become a burden after sometime. Hence, most of the companies also prefer employees to stay with them for not more than 2-3 years and then leave. The same goes from employee’s side also. They also might not want to stick to a company if they are not getting growth in terms of higher salary or position.

But there are still few companies who look at building personal relation with employees and go beyond the professional limits to make them feel desired and important for the company’s growth. These companies are more focussed towards building loyalty among employees as they feel that they can be an asset to a company in many ways. There are different ways in which they try and build loyal employees such as :

1) Conducting employee engagement activities often where employees are allowed to have fun and avail certain services from company’s side and feel privileged.

2) They also believe in giving employees and their families a feeling of belongingness towards the company by conducting different family functions at offices.

3) There family members are made to feel important by addressing to the valuable support they have given so that the employee could deliver his best.

All this makes the family members to feel special and they also have an attachment towards the company.

Giving a special feeling to an employee & his family members will surely make them stay with a company for a longer time period who will also like to spend more and more time with a caring organisation and will give their best during their stay with the company. So an employee who thinks positively and profitably & delivers in accordance for his organisation can be called as a loyal employee.

Hence we can say that loyalty is not related to employee’s long stay with the company but to his efforts & contribution at work in order to achieve the organisation’s growth as a whole for whatever period he stays with the organization

 

[LekshmiGPilllai]

I completely agree that loyalty goes far beyond just the length of time an employee stays with a company. True loyalty is about genuine commitment, alignment with the company’s values, and consistent effort towards the organization’s success—regardless of tenure.

Monetary benefits can motivate performance but don’t guarantee loyalty. An employee may perform well for financial rewards but may leave as soon as a better offer comes along. On the other hand, employees who feel valued personally and professionally, and whose families are respected and included, tend to develop a deeper emotional connection with the company.

I also like the point about companies that invest in employee engagement and foster a sense of belonging often create more loyal workforces. When employees feel that the company cares about them beyond just output, they tend to contribute with more dedication and pride.

In short, loyalty is best measured by the quality of contribution and positive mindset an employee brings to the company, not simply the years spent there.

 

[Dhruv Bindhani]

This article, published on May 7, 2011, delves into the multifaceted concept of employee loyalty, challenging the common perception that loyalty is solely defined by an employee's long tenure with a company.

Challenging the "Long Stay" Definition of Loyalty:

The author argues that simply providing monetary benefits like incentives, perks, and high salaries may boost performance but does not guarantee loyalty. A high performer driven purely by financial incentives is considered unreliable, as they are likely to leave for better pay elsewhere.

True Loyalty: Beyond Monetary Gains:

True loyalty, as defined in the article, is linked to:

• High Productivity and Dedication: Loyal employees are dedicated to their work and actively contribute to increasing the company's profits or enhancing its brand reputation.
• Respect and Gratitude: They respect their employer for the opportunities provided, including learning, earning, growth, and the chance to contribute.
• Thinking about the Company's Success: A loyal employee thinks positively and profitably for the organization, delivering their best efforts during their tenure.

Organizational Perspectives on Loyalty:

The article highlights two contrasting organizational views on employee loyalty:

1. Focus on Performance, Less on Loyalty: Some organizations prioritize high performers who bring in revenue, viewing loyalty as a less critical factor for growth. They might even prefer employees to stay only for 2-3 years to avoid continuous salary raises and promotion burdens that might not justify the cost-to-profit ratio in the long run. This perspective aligns with employees who also seek growth (salary/position) and may not wish to stick with one company indefinitely.
2. Building Personal Relations and Fostering Loyalty:A minority of companies aim to build deep personal relationships with employees, going beyond professional boundaries to make them feel valued and important. These companies see loyal employees as a significant asset and try to foster loyalty through various means:
   • Employee Engagement Activities: Regularly conducting fun activities and offering special services to make employees feel privileged.
   • Family Inclusion: Organizing family functions at the workplace to give employees' families a sense of belonging.
   • Acknowledging Family Support: Recognizing and appreciating the valuable support provided by family members that enables employees to perform optimally.

Conclusion:

The article concludes that loyalty is not primarily about an employee's long stay with a company. Instead, it is about their efforts and contribution at work towards achieving the organization's overall growth, for whatever duration they remain with the company. Giving employees and their families a special feeling of belongingness can encourage them to stay longer and deliver their best.