The Higher Calling for Caring in Business

I was recently asked to write a column for the International Business Times on the subject of caring in business.

The demand for caring leadership – possibly stimulated by "The Great Resignation" – is becoming greater and greater and it is something companies can no longer ignore.

In the column for IBT, I cite these statistics from LinkedIn, in its five talent predictions for 2022:

• Companies and employees are rethinking what they want out of work. What we’re seeing is that care is rising to the forefront and becoming the center of decision-making, reducing burnout and boosting happiness at work.
• Our new data from Glint reveals that employees who feel cared about at work are 3.2x more likely to report being happy to work for their current company and 3.7x more likely to recommend working for their company.
• And the inverse is also true: At companies that struggle with manager care, employees are nearly 50% more likely to apply for a new job. This means that managers will need to continue to adapt their styles and build soft skills to attract and retain talent in the future of work.

Barry-Wehmiller is going through a period of tremendous growth and we are attracting exceptional talent who cite our culture as the reason they want to join our company. But if companies are implementing “policies of care” just to reduce turnover or attract new talent, I fear they are doing it for the wrong reason that will eventually end up with the wrong result.

The reason we at Barry-Wehmiller want our leaders to care about our people is because they are someone’s precious child, with hopes and dreams for a future through which they can realize their full potential. They are not roles to fill or functions that serve to do what we want so we can be successful. They are a person who should be cared for just like I would care for my own child and deserving to receive that care from others.

I hope this moment becomes a recognition of the universal truth that every one of us, no matter what our job or where we live, simply wants to know that who we are and what we do matters. That it is not something born of a moment in time, but a purpose that leaders in business embrace in every aspect of their lives. Business could be the most powerful force for good if it could only embrace this realization.

I encourage you to read my new column for International Business Times and share it. I hope it helps you to realize the dire need for our leaders to start caring and it gives a few suggestions on where to start.