Providing for Your Employees' Basic Needs

Few things are more important to employees than having their most basic needs met. Taking the time to understand where needs exist and helping resolve identified deficiencies are essential to a healthy workplace culture. In this episode, host Joe White discusses why this topic is important and offers suggestions for improvement where needs exist.

View this episode on the AEU website.

About Joe

As Director of AEU LEAD, Joe White focuses on helping members transform operational goals into actionable plans through a structured change management process. Prior to joining AEU, Joe was a senior consultant for E.I. DuPont’s consulting division, DuPont Sustainable Solutions (DSS). He joined DSS in 2011 to develop the next generation of safety practices using extensive research in behavioral sciences he’s compiled over a period of nearly two decades. His efforts resulted in the development of The Risk Factor, which is now the flagship instructor-led offering for the consulting division. Combined, Joe has 26 years of operational safety experience, the majority of which was with DuPont. Joe has been published in Occupational Health & Safety Magazine for his prominent work in safety relative to behavioral and neurosciences and is an event speaker at many leading industry conferences including National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expos, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), and National Maritime Safety Association (NMSA). Joe is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and has a B.S., in Safety and Risk Administration.

Where you can find Joe

• Connect with Joe on LinkedIn

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Supervisor Skills: Secrets of Success is a production of AEU LEAD, a division of The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. With 60 years of combined industry experience, our supervisor training program gives mid-level managers in the maritime industry the skills needed to influence employees, customers, and peers. This increases employee engagement, reduces turnover and rework, and ultimately results in higher profits for their companies. 

Find AEU: amequity.com | Linkedin | Facebook

Transcript

Announcer:
The SOS podcast is a production of AEU LEAD, an organization redefining how mid and frontline managers are developed.

Joe White:
Hello, and thank you for joining us. I'm Joe White and this is the Supervisor Skills Secrets of Success podcast. Today's recording marks a special occasion in the history of this podcast series. It's our 50th release. With a launch date of March 15th, 2021 we've covered a lot of topics of the past three years and have steadily grown along the way. Whether you're a returning listener or are new to our show, we're glad you're here.

In preparing for today's discussion, I wanted to speak on a topic that's at the heart and soul of frontline supervision. I also wanted to somehow connect the topic to the critically important interface that exists between supervisors and their direct reports. The topic I've chosen, and the one we'll be exploring further over the next few minutes or so, is intended to highlight the absolute importance of the basics. More specifically, I'll be sharing some false ideas and suggestions for ways to ensure your employees' most fundamental needs are being consistently met and provided for day in and day out. To that end, let's jump right into it.

I had a conversation recently with an HR manager I've known for several years. She shared with me that her organization had recently run a survey to better understand where opportunities for improvement exists. The decision to gather employee input was in response to a growing turnover rate, which currently stands at 36% each year. Based on a distilled summary of the feedback received, she shared their top three most pressing needs were as follows: 

• Employees don't feel their basic needs are being met.
• Employees don't feel valued or appreciated.
• Employees don't feel a connection with or have a sense of purpose in their jobs.

As part of the conversation, she wanted my opinion on which of the three I thought should take precedence or priority for follow-up action. Without hesitation or any detailed background on the specifics surrounding their operation. I immediately replied, "It's a given you have to provide for your employees' most basic needs."

Feeling valued and appreciated, along with having a sense of purpose in your job, are important measures of employee engagement. They're secondary, however, to providing for your employees' most basic needs. Telling someone you appreciate them when they don't have the materials or equipment needed to fulfill performance expectations is condescending and does more harm than good. For these reasons and more, basic needs are foundational and serve as the underpinning for healthy workplace cultures.

Given the importance of this topic, a question you may have is how do you define basic needs? First and foremost, it's a relevant term; by that, I mean that it's determined based on the specifics of your operation. Most importantly, it's based on the perspective of those doing the work. Basic needs typically includes raw materials and supplies like pipe, wire, or fittings. It also involves equipment such as ladders, rigging hardware, or forklifts. In some instances, it's information like drawings, spec sheets, or delivery dates. This, by no means, is an all-inclusive list. Early in my career, I had a welder one time express frustration because fans used to move air at a fab shop had been removed for a short term and never replaced. It was an unnecessary source of frustration and involved a basic need that could have easily been resolved.

So how do you recognize and provide for your employees basic needs? Here are several recommendations for consideration:

1. Develop a list.

Providing for basic needs begins with an understanding of what the basic needs are. While most supervisors have a representative understanding, employees have a real-time understanding of needs that aren't being met. Engage with direct reports and ask for their input. Develop a list of basic needs and let them know how you plan to use the information.

2. Assess performance.

With a list in hand, you need to determine how you're doing. As with the first step, this requires involvement and input from key stakeholders. Where inconsistencies exist, details must be flushed out. Doing so helps sort out fact from fiction and helps prevent generalizations based on one or two instances. From a management basics perspective, you're looking for patterns that formed over time.

3. Investigate breakdowns.

With a basic understanding of basic needs that aren't consistently being provided for, your next step involves resolution. This requires getting past symptoms and addressing the root causation of any inconsistencies. In many instances, this will require involvement and help from others outside of your department. As an example, if replacement parts for a business-critical piece of equipment aren't available in the warehouse, your availability to fix that without the help of others is likely very remote. Help expanded team members see the bigger picture and ask for their support in making any needed changes.

4. Follow up.

With inconsistencies identified and a plan in place, resolution and execution are key. Track any open items until completion. This requires holding yourself and others accountable for performance and for fulfilling any agreed-upon obligations. In addition to working on identified action items, periodically check to make certain there aren't any new needs that surface along the way. It's not uncommon to fix one thing only to recognize an emerging need somewhere else.

5. Own it.

As a frontline supervisor, providing for an employee's most basic needs is essential to success. Few things matter more to your employees, which means the topic should rank high on your list of priorities. Recognize the importance of taking care of the basics, demonstrate commitment for helping your employees succeed, and grow your credibility as a leader as a result of it. For those able to do so, your respect and effectiveness as a frontline leader will grow accordingly.

Employee engagement and workplace culture are critical measures often reflected in turnover rates. While these topics are important, they're secondary in nature to providing for an employee's most basic needs. Where supervisors have never done so, they should pursue a course of action to better understand where basic needs exist. Equally as important, they should gain insight into whether or not the needs are consistently being met. Where they aren't, improvements are needed. Few things matter more to your employees, which in turn should make this topic one of pressing importance to you, our listener.

Thank you for joining us. It's my sincere hope you found benefit in our discussion today. We'll be back in September and look forward to you joining us then. If you know of someone that could benefit from topics of discussion, please forward a link with an endorsement for their consideration. Should you have any questions or need additional information regarding today's topic, just let us know. Our contact information is provided in the show notes accompanying this episode. For those that may not have reviewed or rated your experience with our show, we'd greatly appreciate you doing so. That's it for now. Stay safe and thanks for listening.