Happy Spring Tremendous Upsiders!
It’s time to drop Talent Mixtapes, Part 2: The Anthems of Disengaged Employees. In case this is your first time jamming with our Talent Mixtapes series, here’s the breakdown–our music obsessed team pulls from their playlists to express different talent industry pains.
This edition is all about those employees that can’t get no satisfaction in their current career setting. Watch out for any team members humming along to these tunes…
Let’s start off with an easy one:
- Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
This is your chance to take action; they are literally asking you for guidance when it comes to their next career move. If your company can’t offer an employee what they need to take the next step in their career, tell them instead of stringing them along just to fill a function. - Numb/Encore – JayZ & Linkin Park
Of course, you want to hire people that align well with your culture and contribute to your vision, but they shouldn’t all be exactly alike. Fostering a diverse workforce in every sense of the term will up your game and allow for culture add, instead of just fit. To paraphrase the great Chester Bennington, let your employees be more like them and less like you. - At My Job – Dead Kennedys
“All that time spent going to school
Just to end up following-rules.”
Say it with me: Goal-Setting! Better yet, task this high-potential, low-rules employee with initiatives that involve shaking up inefficient processes so that they can spearhead a meaningful responsibility. - Love the Way You Lie – Eminem featuring Rihanna
I’m sure none of us are making this major talent management mistake, but just in case, I’m going to say it anyways… stop lying to your employees about opportunities, process changes, and so on. Sure, some of your people will continue to stick around even after they figure out they’ve been duped, but that doesn’t mean the problem has been fixed. Think about it–how can you attract great talent when your current people are, at best, indifferent to your organization and their roles?! - Dropkick Murphys – Worker’s Song
“For our skills are not needed, they’ve streamlined the job
And with sliderule and stopwatch our pride they have robbed.”
This one goes out to all of the employees that are stuck in a toxic culture that constantly leaves them fearing for their jobs while the fat cat’s about. There may never be enough perks or purpose to fix this employee’s experience, but with some systematic change and recognition initiatives, leadership and HR could turn this whole ship around for the others. - 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon
When done respectfully, putting in your two weeks takes time and contemplation. This employee hasn’t quite put pen to paper, and in fact, it sounds like they might not leave a parting note at all. It’s up to this person’s manager to take notice and keep Jack from slipping out the back before you can level-set the situation. - I’m Bored– Iggy Pop
This ballad is representative of the employee who is content with their compensation but believes that they are flat out sleepwalking through their career. The solution: give them something to get their blood pumping again. Competitions, new responsibilities, events, promotional opportunities, Taco Bell gift cards–whatever ignites the passion they once had for their career (and is, of course, compliant with current policy) is worth a shot. - Cups (When I’m Gone) – Anna Kendrick
Unlike the “50 ways” individual, this employee already has one foot out the door and a few bottles of whiskey on-hand to reassure them in this next big career move. The worst part? They are baiting other employees to come with–beware of the domino effect!