Is Loyalty two-way?
Updated: Dec 9, 2023
Loyalty "a strong feeling of support or allegiance"
As children loyalty is one of the first values we learn, experience, and practice.
When it comes to employees and employers its no different! Both parties come together and want to try and achieve this.
Employer's strive to achieve this and every employee likes to feel this. Yet loyalty means different things and come with different expectations. Employees feel loyalty is mainly about being treated fairly and equitably, given opportunity and trust.
Employers see loyalty as employees committing 100% their time, energy, thinking and action at work and sometimes beyond work to their business even going above and beyond. These two expectations are completely different.
Quite often to the employee, there can be a feeling of imbalance; a disproportionate exchange, that can lead to ill feeling.
To the employer they feel they are receiving less attention, less time to their cause than they pay for.
So what can you do to try and align these expectations?
- be clear about what you are giving and demonstrate this and exlain what you would like in return
- be clear what your boundaries are and why these are important to you
- be clear about what loyalty is and means to you
- regularly check in and discuss how this fairs with the current situation
Often in business, we forget or refrain from sharing what we think, how we feel for the fear of retribution or judgement. Well, ask yourself.... What causes you to think this way? If you present your thinking and feelings in the right way, regardless of whether you are employer or employee, you will be able to have a healthy discussion that can lead to very positive results and outcomes.
If you need help, you can always reach out to us at iDrive HR and be signposted to our highly trained and qualified advisors or learning resources.
Be open, Be honest, Be authentic, Be present.
