Beyond Survival Mode

Sustainable productivity for small employers.

Employers have long relied on periods of uncertainty to increase productivity: to prove their worth and ultimately keep their jobs. In 2008, during the recession, we worked hard to keep our small companies afloat.

Fast forward to 2020: As the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a hold of the United States, many employees have also reported working longer hours and taking on new roles and responsibilities outside of their job descriptions to keep their organizations running.

However, what has also followed every single period of uncertainty is a skyrocketing burnout rate and disengagement post survival mode. Think about this: In 2008, when Glassdoor launched its platform during the Great Recession, employees suddenly had a free platform to share their workplace experiences.

Overnight, unprecedented transparency about company culture even at small organizations became available to the public. For small employers who have limited resources to recruit and hire, it can be especially valuable to take care of the basic human needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy (safety, belonging, esteem, etc.), as it will be a much less expensive option in the long run.

What can small employers (organizations with less than 100 employees) do differently to ensure sustainable productivity in non-survival mode? In 1960, 25% of families had dual incomes. Fast forward to today: Dual-income families make up more than 66.5% of all American families.

As a result, modern-day employees are much more complex and hold more responsibilities outside of work, and unfortunately, small employers often have fewer resources to help them manage it (think human resources, family leave policies, professional coaches, etc.).

While large corporations often have more robust resources to support their employees, small employers have the advantage of agility. For example, implementing a flexible schedule, job sharing programs, or a results-only work environment can be a big step forward in supporting employees’ ability to manage their complex lives and account for results rather than face time.

Small employers can also have a significant advantage in sustainable productivity by making it a competitive benefit. Ideas include regular one-on-one check-ins (removed obstacles to performance rather than jumping straight to goals or ideas), simple decision-making processes that make it okay for employees to solve their problems (avoid putting employees in “analysis paralysis” by making it okay for them to decide on their own), and cross training all employees to ensure that the business never slows down in someone else’s absence.

Furthermore, employers at small organizations can encourage psychological safety among their employees by discussing company challenges and difficult problems to be solved in regular all-hands meetings, including employees in the solution-finding process, and celebrating the progress rather than pushing employees to always go beyond.