Positional devaluation is an epidemic. Perhaps you don’t know what that is. After all, it is not the lead story on the
evening news nor the headline in your favorite newspaper. For some, it might seem ridiculous and petty,
but I assure you, it is not.
Look at the way roles within your company are viewed. Aren’t some seen as more valuable than
others? I understand that the COO or CFO
is an important role and might have a different level of value to the
organization, but does that mean that other roles are not valuable? Too often, we sell new candidates on the
stepping stone view of the role they’ve applied for. We apologize for the role, in essence. We see the role as less than what someone
should settle for.
What kind of message is that? Do you expect someone to just take the job
because you do a Jedi mind trick? (“This isn’t the job you’re looking for. The
job offered will do fine. Move
along.”) With such a poor setup, it’s
unlikely that a candidate would accept, and if they do, be assured that it’s
just to collect a paycheck while the new employee interviews for other
jobs. Sad and not encouraging, I know,
but truthful.
Devaluing a position is a cultural nightmare. Take, for example, employees who used to do a job such as what I've described. They feel
comfortable to give the “oh, you are the new guy doing this? Ha, good luck!”
speech. I understand the teasing and sometimes it just might showcase the familial spirit of
the company. However, what isn’t okay is to allow
the mocking to be a staple of the workday.
Devaluing the job being done is to devalue the person doing the job.
Listen. For those of
who you really know me, you know that I have sensitive moments. I offer sympathy; I empathize with
others. The devaluing of a job is NOT a
sensitivity-thing. My perspective is not
about primarily caring for feelings (although, I am not against that either),
but rather it’s about protecting the culture of the company and the “every job
is important” attitude. It cannot just
be a cute phrase, but belief in action.
My first on-the-books job was with Friendly’s. I was a dishwasher. Not a glamorous job. I was thrown all kinds of crap and no one
said anything to me. I lasted six
weeks. It wasn’t because I was too good
for the job, but because I was alone and made to feel unimportant. I looked at my job as being less than
everyone else’s. I didn’t like that feeling,
but the message was clear. But think about running that restaurant without clean pots, pans, dishes or
glassware. That job is vital regardless
of glamor. It would be out of touch with business necessity for a company to think otherwise.
So, simply, review those overlooked roles in your organization. Speak
into them. Now look at those jobs that
are devalued intentionally through commentary and jokes. Fix it.
It’s messaging that must be addressed.
There is nothing wrong with washing dishes for a
living. There is nothing wrong with
packing and shipping boxes for a living.
There is nothing wrong with cutting lawns for a living. There is nothing wrong with waiting tables
for 30 years. Nothing at all.
