Who do you trust?

Something’s been bugging me since I left the ERE Expo in San Diego a couple of weeks ago.  It’s the sense that businesses just don’t get it.  They are sure they hold all the cards.  They want to be sure that potential hires fit with their organization…they don’t really care what potential hires or even employees think of them.

The speakers talked about:

the hiring Tsunami that was coming based on employee unhappiness both in good and bad times.

how employers “value propositions” in their mission statements did not meld with their manager’s realities but did reflect what employees wanted to hear.

And I had some fascinating conversations where I heard different variations on this theme over and over again:

“You can’t hire people flexibly from the start – how do you know you can trust them to do the work?”

When I asked how potential employees knew they could trust that employer to follow through and offer flex later the look I got was one of being from another planet.  It never occurred to these particular recruiters that those interviewing at the company may be as concerned with trust issues as the recruiter is.   I mean after all – they are the employer, they hold the cards, they decide if you are “lucky enough” to work there.  If you are chosen…then you are trusted (as long as you are in the office a lot).  Aren’t you lucky?

Huh?

Where did this get so messed up?

Well it may be that we’ve been concentrating on the wrong traits important in society for the past 50-60 years.  We’ve been concentrating on promotions and raises and getting validation from short-term accolades.  Not things that last.

I don’t always agree with David Brooks of the New York Times but he always makes me think.  And today’s article about whether you’d rather have short-term success or long-term happiness is a good one.  It should make everyone think a bit more about what’s really important.

And I think that’s what’s been bugging me about my conversations at ERE Expo.  Employers talk about engaging employees, offering better benefits, creating a “great place to work.”  They apply to awards and attend events and tout their accomplishments….but in the end its only about short-term success that they are concentrating on.  And we employees know they talk more than they actually believe or follow through on the talk.

Businesses used to be in it for the long haul both for themselves and their employees and happiness was important, as is success, of course.  Now happiness isn’t important…but it should be.  Because it’s still important to most people…and in a knowledge based economy your company truly is only as good as its people.

So to those employers who don’t trust me to work well from inception based on 20 years of work history, references and being given a chance…I have no desire to work for you.  I don’t trust you either and in the end we will not make each other happy.  I understand that…maybe some day you will, too.