Employee fulfillment is becoming an increasingly popular concept. With about two-thirds of today’s workforce is unfulfilled, it is no surprise that a significant number of employees are leaving their jobs and entire careers behind because they lack meaning or purpose. Thus, there’s no disagreement in the view that employers need to embrace this concept. However, Jonathan Gary Sr. believes that just embracing the concept is not enough. To retain the best workforce, companies need to actively work for increasing employee fulfillment in the workplace – and we agree.
Jonathan Gary Sr is a thriving serial entrepreneur and a real estate mogul. Currently located in West Palm Beach, Florida, Jonathan started his entrepreneurial journey in 2013 when he founded his first venture, Vulture Investment Firm LLC, a real estate investment agency. Few years down the road, he has managed to establish two more successful businesses: i-KARE Treatment, a rehab center for adults suffering from substance abuse, and Earth Florida, the largest CBD/Hemp dispensary in the state. Jonathan is also the founder of Manhood Mentorship, a mentorship program that assists teenage boys and men in gaining the education and skills they need to become better leaders and individuals overall.
Being the founder of 3 successful ventures along with a comprehensive mentorship program, Jonathan has had the opportunity to work with several people as his employees, and this has helped him gain insight into employee joy and fulfillment. In this article, he has shared 3 ways managers and business leaders can make their employees feel more fulfilled.
- Loosen The Grip A Little
According to Jonathan, one of the biggest mistakes bosses make is intruding and interfering too much in the employee’s task, which can annoy them. Once you have assigned the task an employee, you should give them adequate space to complete it as they like, as long as it’s meeting the end goal. “Yes, you should provide structure and assistance to your subordinates, but only when they ask for it,” Jonathan says, while adding that too much interference can lead to stress and tension between the two parties.
- Create A Positive, Meaningful Culture
In simple words, an organization’s culture is defined as “the way we do things here”. Jonathan believes that evolving this culture can offer much-needed reinforcement and support for employees who seek greater meaning in their work.
Although the culture is more about actions and not words, there are a few important factors that an organization needs to focus on if they want to evolve the culture to make it more meaningful and purpose-driven. These primarily include identifying the “influencers” in your workforce who can create momentum and reflect their positive energy on those around them, targeting positive behaviors that encourage growth and relationships, and reinforcing these behaviors through practical demonstration.
- Encourage Team Building
Getting your employees to come together and collaborate on a project can be a fulfilling, formative experience. Jonathan believes it can help them build and strengthen interpersonal relationships with both their coworkers and bosses. Moreover, when employees come together, chances are that they will share similar experiences with each other that will instill a sense of belonging, and this can ultimately contribute to employee fulfillment. Thus, it is imperative for managers to hold these exercises often (without going overboard).
- Avoid Being Overly Critical of Their Work
One of the biggest demotivators for any employee is too much criticism and lack of appreciation. According to Jonathan, managers need to be very careful about the way the feedback they give to their employees.
“It is not about what you have to say – it is about how you frame your thoughts. When giving feedback to employees, make sure you start by appreciating their work and then giving suggestions about how they can improve it rather than criticizing it, especially when you know they have put in the effort,” Jonathan says. He further added that too much criticism should be avoided as it can lead to employees pulling back on their efforts.
With the employee fulfillment topic becoming a bone of contention between employees and bosses, it is crucial that employers actively work to enrich the employee’s overall experience in the workplace to retain the best workforce that is the key to business growth and success.