How Transparency + Structure Translates to Motivation at Work

My first job out of college was at the largest hedge fund in the world. I had the privilege of unparalleled exposure to senior leadership and significant autonomy and responsibility, especially considering my level of experience.

I eventually left that role (which I loved) for one key reason: I didn’t feel a strong enough connection between what I did and my impact on the company. If I delivered good work, my manager was happy. If I delivered poor work, my manager was disappointed.

Fast forward 8 years, there have been many times where I’ve wished that my efforts were not so directly correlated with my company’s business outcomes. No one tells you how stressful managing payroll can be. And yet, when the line between effort and impact is clear, the ability to motivate employees to drive results is also easier.

And so, while the other week at Recruiter.com, we all took time to celebrate listing on NASDAQ – a big win for the company and a big win that each and every employee contributed to – I’ve been thinking about the next chapter. As we continue to scale, how do we as company leaders make sure all individuals, no matter what their role, understand how their daily work helps drive key business goals? How do we empower each and every person to not just feel like an owner but to also act like one?

While I am still working through this, I’m reminded of one of the lessons I learned while managing a smaller team. It’s that people need to feel included to feel like they matter and that their work matters. They need to be included in order to really care – and that extends to teams of all sizes.

Being included means providing transparency into both the successes and challenges at all levels of the business (within reason of course). It also means providing structure and clarity around what success looks like – whether that’s through OKRs or KPIs – so each employee can see how their daily work aligns with the larger goals of their department and the business as a whole. This way, regardless of whether an employee works in customer success, business development, or analytics, they’ll understand how their work is essential to achieving high-level business goals.

Because at the end of the day, success is not just about getting that big win, it’s about all the little wins and challenges that were overcome on the path to get there. And, it’s a lot more meaningful (and a lot more likely) when you do it together.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong,

Jax
SVP, Recruiter.com

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