Imagine having two employees: one who just started and one who has been with you for 25 years. Now imagine trying to treat them both the same. They each get to work from home if they want, and they can even set their own hours. They both get their projects approved with little or no scrutiny.
I think you’d find it’s impossible to treat these two team members equally. Special perks and extra trust are earned by long-term, highly producing employees who are given more flexibility and grace because they have earned it.
You cannot treat all employees equally, but you should treat them fairly. There’s a big difference between the two, and making sure you and everyone else understand it will make for a more effective workplace.
Fairness means treating people the way you’d want to be treated. A fair manager knows there are two sides to every story and listens to each with equal respect before making up their mind. You should always ask questions and find out the “why” before you jump to conclusions.
If a new employee makes a suggestion, we may examine it more closely because they don’t yet have a proven track record with the company. A more tenured employee might find it easier to convince the team because of their history at the business. We’ll give them both a fair hearing, but not the same scrutiny.
BUILDING TRUST
It’s not always about the number of years of service. Trust is built on competence, work ethic, judgment, and other soft skills. Higher-producing employees also should be given more leeway in their treatment. A new salesperson consistently beating their goals could earn more credibility than someone who’s been there for a long time and is only meeting expectations, for instance.
Newer employees gain respect by getting in early or staying late when there are projects or things that need to be finished. They earn trust by producing better results and volunteering to help others. They utilize a mentor, are friendly, and have a noticeably positive influence on others.
FAIRNESS
Fairness can be an issue in a family business like mine; there’s a temptation to say every disappointing decision went to “the boss’ kid, like always.” It goes both ways. In my early years with my father’s company, there were times when I felt treated poorly by long-term employees. It’s made an impact on how I look at this issue today. Looking back at it, I see there were times I should have been reprimanded and other times that questions from the manager would have uncovered everything.
There’s one way we do treat everyone both fairly and equally. Managers are expected to disregard family members’ relationships and manage them like everyone else, not giving them leeway just because they’re related to—or treating them extra harshly for the same reason. They don’t always follow that direction, and in the past, I’ve had to switch direct reports that are too easy on family members. We have a human resources department for any issues that come up, but we prefer employees and managers to handle any issues face-to-face in the healthiest way.
Equal treatment for all would be an unfair policy, not just for veteran employees but for new team members, who would have nothing to shoot for in their careers with your company. Showing flexibility to employees after they’ve earned it can be a big positive for everyone to see.