The Great Resignation still isn’t quitting–which means employee engagement is top of the agenda for 2023. Millennial and Gen Z employees, who now make up the majority of the workforce, are particularly prone to what used to be called “job-hopping”, often jumping ship not for more money but for more autonomy, more meaningful work, or a more inspiring vision.
These employees are harder to retain than any demographic before them. Can sending them a note once a week really make a difference–and if so, how?
1. It builds a great company culture
Company culture is a buzzword for a reason. It’s one of the main things today’s workforce looks for in a job–and a weekly company-wide communication from the CEO can have a tremendous impact on culture. CEO Scott Dorsey of ExactTarget, who did this every single Friday for almost six years, explains:
“It was a simple and very impactful way to highlight accomplishments for the week and keep the lines of communication open with our 2,000+ employees. It showcased the transparency in the company and helped us keep our unique culture as we scaled the company — one of the defining factors to our overall success at ExactTarget.”
When it comes to building culture, there’s no substitute for great leadership.
2. Poor executive communication is one of the main reasons people quit
In a recent Forbes article, Louis Efron cited “No Connection to the Big Picture” and “No Vision” as the main reasons employees quit. “Most employees don’t get out of bed each morning trying to hit a profit number. Don’t confuse your financial objectives with vision. Vision feeds financials and not the other way around.”
Getting this balance right is part of the CEO’s job–and regular company-wide communications are an ideal place to start.
3. You’ll become a more agile company
In his time as CEO of GovDelivery, Scott Burns got immediate positive feedback when he started sending regular company emails. “We were consistently able to function at a uniquely quick pace. My regular notes helped me communicate and reinforce our goals, while the organisation was able to align and create momentum that evaded most in our sector. The return from a little bit of my time was tremendous.”
4. People will feel connected to the vision
Many CEOs are inspiring leaders, but usually the people down in the trenches don’t get to see too much of that. They become alienated and disaffected. A weekly note from the CEO can create unity and make everyone feel connected. As well as email, repeating the note on more modern platforms like chat, text, or Slack will help to show people that their leader isn’t out of touch.
5. Common causes motivate and inspire
More than ever, today’s employees want to feel like they’re part of something meaningful. A common phrase in management is “we all want to be in the same boat, rowing in the same direction.”
If you’ve ever seen a boat race, you might relate the CEO to the cox. They’re the skinny little person sitting in the back of the boat facing forward, calling out the strokes for the rowers–literally making sure everyone pulls together. Their communication sets the pace.
Today’s young employees may have little tolerance for being bossed around or patronised, but they still want to be led. They want to feel part of something that matters–which means they look to the CEO to keep reinforcing the vision and bringing them together in a shared cause.
