APPEL FORD, INC.

Hope Ebanks

When people think about Human Resources, they often think about policies, payroll, benefits, hiring and the occasional difficult conversation. While all of those are important parts of the job, I have learned that some of the most meaningful moments in HR happen in between.

People-centered HR can mean helping an employee navigate their health insurance while preparing to have their first baby. It can mean filing a life insurance claim for someone who has just lost a family member, helping an employee understand a new pay plan, or simply recognizing when someone is having a hard time and needs a little extra support to show up and give their best.

At the center of all those situations is something simple: people want to feel heard.

Listening Before Leading

You will never make every employee happy with every decision and I don't believe that should be the goal of HR. The goal should be making sure employees know their voices matter. If employees are consistently expressing concerns about their health insurance, for example, listen. Send a survey. Ask what is and isn't working. Shop other carriers and explore what options are available.

The final decision may not be everyone's first choice, but there is value in being able to say, "We heard you. We looked at our options and we did our best to make a decision that serves the majority of our employees." Employees may not always agree with a decision, but they are much more likely to respond positively when they understand that their concerns were considered. Communication plays a major role in that.

At our dealership, one of the simplest tools we use is a company newsletter. We share upcoming events and holidays, open positions, new employees, birthdays, work anniversaries, company news and an employee spotlight that allows everyone to learn a little more about one of their coworkers. It isn't a complicated engagement strategy, but the response has been incredibly positive. People like knowing what is happening around them and feeling connected to the workplace beyond their individual department.

Know the Person Behind the Position

One of the things I pride myself on most is knowing our employees. With 78 people across our organization, I make an effort to speak to almost everyone who passes through my office. It might be a technician stopping in to enjoy the air conditioning and grab an energy drink, a salesperson looking for a key, or someone carrying paperwork from one desk to another. There is a slim chance they are getting by without me at least asking how they are doing. Those small conversations matter.

"Because at the end of the day, employees are more engaged when they feel heard."

My goal is for every person who works here to know that I genuinely care about them and that their value to the company goes far beyond a dollar sign or an employee number. All 78 of them have a purpose outside of the role they perform at work and that purpose does not suddenly begin when they clock out. Whether someone works in sales, service, accounting, management, or anywhere else in the organization, we are all human. We want to be treated with respect. We want our contributions to be recognized. And we want to know that someone cares enough to listen.

Relationships Don't Replace Accountability

This approach has also changed the way I handle some of the harder parts of HR. Holding people accountable while genuinely caring about them was difficult for me when I first entered HR and difficult conversations can still be challenging. What I have learned, though, is that knowing your employees does not prevent accountability. Sometimes, it makes those conversations more productive.

If an employee who is normally dependable suddenly starts arriving late and doesn't have the same energy they usually bring to work, there is still a performance issue that may need to be addressed. But when you know the person behind that performance, the conversation can start differently. Instead of only asking, "Why have you been late?" you may know to ask how their brother is doing, whether things are going okay at home, or even how their dog is doing. Sometimes that question opens the door to a much deeper conversation. The expectation does not disappear, but the conversation becomes an opportunity for coaching, understanding and ultimately strengthening the relationship between the employee and the company.

Employee engagement doesn't always require a new program, expensive benefit, or major company initiative. Sometimes it starts with something much smaller: knowing your people, communicating with them, asking how they are doing and genuinely caring about the answer.

Because at the end of the day, employees are more engaged when they feel heard.