Why We Need to Say Yes More
I heard on a webinar the other day that policies were designed to say ‘no’. It’s so true. Virtually every employee policy I had when I was managing a lot of people came about because we were trying to get employees to conform in some way or to avoid bad behavior we had encountered in the past. Once the policy was established and conveyed they couldn’t fight us when they didn’t comply because we said it was policy and now they were violating that policy. If an employee didn’t conform to the prescribed roles and behaviors then the company could punish them. We are more likely to achieve the behavior we seek by employees if they understand the company’s why. But the question we need to ask ourselves is why did the policies exist in the first place and are they still relevant across the board?
It’s the same with employee relocation benefit’s packages. They were structured in such a way that every abuse of relocation benefits that had been attempted in the past had a policy to head off the request before it ever happened. It was to keep people in their lane. But times have changed dramatically. The pandemic proved that employees could work remotely and still get their work done and they had the freedom to work from anywhere and manage their work time as they saw fit. Not every employee made the transition easily and I am sure there were some that couldn’t self-manage, but their inability to do so was probably revealed pretty quickly. For the most part, people figured out how to get it done with way less restrictions or policy guidelines. So now the question arises around relocation, do they even need to move? If so, can they live anywhere as long as they can get to a corporate office easily when needed? Will their relocation benefits include moving their boat and their pet goats? It might not have in the past, but maybe it should now if that’s important to the employee.
Time for policy review
Most major companies are not only reviewing their current policies and procedures around the norms of work, they are also evaluating their relocation benefits policy. Maybe we need to have more yes’s. If it’s a job that can be performed from anywhere and the employee has proven to be dependable, why would companies not figure out a way to make it happen? In the long run, it may be cheaper in taxes and comp if they choose to live in a place that doesn’t need a cost of living bump or has lower income and corporate taxes. With a few in person meetings or retreats annually, companies can save money on office space and still achieve the camaraderie that develops when people work face to face.
We need to lighten up
We have to get over this notion of conformity. While an employee can’t really wear pajama pants into the office, they certainly can while working at home. Or can they wear pajama pants into the office? At the start of video conference meetings, people made a great attempt to dress professionally. As time has gone on, I have seen much more casual clothing in business meetings. I think we are all over it. All of the rules -- why did they matter? They mattered because we felt if we gave an inch, they would take a mile. Maybe…but if someone wants to where pj’s to the office as long as a big client isn’t coming in, why not? Loosening up on policy may help make employers seem more attractive when competing for talent. The tech world started the trend of the cool workspace with casual dress, ping pong tables and unlimited snacks. They have the right idea, make it more comfortable and fun like we feel at home.
Understand the why
As long as the behavior doesn’t impact productivity or jeopardizes client relationships or customer service or offends anyone or crosses a legal or ethical line, then maybe we all ought to lighten up. I suspect that employee relocation benefits packages are going to take on a much more customizable appearance. If we understand the ‘why’ behind requests then it makes it easier to say yes. Will some employees try and take advantage of a more flexible benefits package, absolutely. But the overall goodwill may over shadow any attempted abuse.
If companies take the time to understand each family and employee circumstance then decisions can be made accordingly. It will mean determining what jobs have more flexible options and which ones do not. Each company will need to put roles into two camps. Those with flexibility and those without. And as long as the person applying for the job understand which bucket they fall in to then they are basically agreeing to the degree of flexible working options. Each person has their own story and we need stop trying to put the relocation process and the benefits attached in a tidy box.
The bottom line is that companies need to quit sweating the small stuff. We need to focus on the reason that people work hard and feel loyalty to a company and reward them for it. If everyone understands each other’s ‘why’ then the company and the employee can find common ground that will achieve satisfaction on both sides. Trusting employees to make good decisions and helping them live their best lives will pay off in the long run if we find more ways to say yes.
“I'm a great believer that saying yes is a lot more fun than saying no.” ~ Richard Branson, business magnate, investor, author
