RESPECT

Is it possible that the way to win in business is to give employees exactly what they want? Yes. As RESPECT reveals, managers and organizations who give their employees what they want outperform those who don't. This is no hunch – it's a fact based on more than 25 years of global research. Drs. Jack Wiley and Brenda Kowske have amassed a research database unlike any other, and it all started with this simple question: "What is the most important thing you want from the organization for which you work?"

Organizations that apply this research have more engaged employees, more satisfied customers, and better shareholder returns. It all boils down to seven key elements, summarized by the acronym RESPECT. These are the seven things that employees really want: Recognition, Exciting Work, Security, Pay, Education, Conditions and Truth.

This book taps the authors' "in the trenches" consulting experience and offers real solutions on each element of RESPECT. Written for all types of leaders—from supervisors to the c-suite—readers can pick and choose the proven solutions that are relevant to their own organizations.

By weaving stories and narrative, the authors make complex information easy to understand and fun to read. In addition, RESPECT meets the demands of the global economy, offering an international perspective with corresponding cultural nuances that are critical to helping leaders manage the needs of their workforces.

List of Figures and Tables vii

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

1. What Employees Really Want 1

2. Why You Should Care 13

3. Recognition 27

4. Exciting Work 45

5. Security of Employment 61

6. Pay 79

7. Education and Career Growth 97

8. Conditions at Work 117

9. Truth 139

10. RESPECT: A Key to Your Future Success 155

Appendix A. Identifying RESPECT Levels Worksheet 167

Appendix B. About the WorkTrends Study 173

Appendix C. Discovering the RESPECT Taxonomy: The Method 177

Notes 183

About the Authors 195

Index 197

"This book takes the reader through all elements of RESPECT, offering easy-to-read case studies, sensible advice and powerful evidence." (People Management, December 2011)

"The HR budget spent to find out 'what employees really want' doesn't bear thinking about, so Wiley and Kowske should be praised for tackling it." (HR Magazine, December 2011)

"This book takes the reader through all the elements of respect — offering easy-to-read case studies, sensible advice backed up by a range of powerful evidence and argument." (People Management, November 2011)

Jack Wiley, Ph.D., is founder and executive director of the Kenexa High Performance Institute, the R&D arm of a leading provider of business solutions for human resources. He is recognized internationally for groundbreaking research that links employee survey results to measures of customer satisfaction and financial performance. A keynote speaker at conferences around the world, Dr. Wiley shares his research findings and advice with thousands of HR professional and business leaders every year.

Brenda Kowske, Ph.D., is a manager and research consultant for the Kenexa High Performance Institute. Kowske is a highly respected researcher in the field of HR and, through her management of the WorkTrends^™ study, investigates timely topics that inform talent management practices around the world. She has worked as a coach, trainer, and performance management consultant for Fortune 500 companies.

Is it possible that the way to win in business is to give employees exactly what they want? Yes. As RESPECT reveals, managers and organizations who give their employees what they want outperform those who don’t. This is no hunch – it’s a fact based on more than 25 years of global research. Drs. Jack Wiley and Brenda Kowske have amassed a research database unlike any other, and it all started with this simple question: “What is the most important thing you want from the organization for which you work?”

Organizations that apply this research have more engaged employees, more satisfied customers, and better shareholder returns. It all boils down to seven key elements, summarized by the acronym RESPECT. These are the seven things that employees really want:

RECOGNITION: A pat on the back from managers and the organization at-large

EXCITING WORK: A job that’s challenging, interesting and fun

SECURITY: Job security, whether that means for one year or 10

PAY: Fair compensation for a day’s work, and enough of it

EDUCATION AND CAREER GROWTH: Opportunities to develop their skills and career

CONDITIONS: A workplace that is comfortable physically and socially, and well-equipped

TRUTH: Frank, honest and transparent leaders

This book taps the authors’ “in the trenches” consulting experience and offers real solutions on each element of RESPECT. Written for all types of leaders—from supervisors to the c-suite—readers can pick and choose the proven solutions that are relevant to their own organizations.

By weaving stories and narrative, the authors make complex information easy to understand and fun to read. In addition, the book meets the demands of the global economy, offering an international perspective with corresponding cultural nuances that are critical to helping leaders manage the needs of their workforces.