How To Keep Employees From Being Lazy or Freeloading

So many business owners get frustrated because they feel like many times employees are freeloading or they're just lazy throughout the day. And the more we talk about this, the more we realize that many people think it has to do with the generations. Does it? I'm not sure.

Hey, it's Scott Beebe with Business On Purpose and I'm super excited to be able to talk to you about this because we were just in Providence, Rhode Island last week at the JLC Live doing a couple of talks and workshops there. One of the questions we got was about this issue with employees. We simply responded: is it your employees or is it you?

You might think that millennials are lazy trophy collectors or Gen Zers are phone-addicted and directionless, but I think it might be a little different. And there's another question we've got to ask about that.

Hey, before I go any farther, go to businessonpurpose.com/healthy and you can take a healthy assessment and understand the back-end clarity of your business—part of what I'm going to be talking about today.

So here's the question we need to ask: how do you capture their attention? It's less about asking, "Are they lazy?" and more about asking, "Why are they lazy?" and "How do you capture their attention?" In a modern world, attention is one of the most valuable currencies we have. Time and attention are irrevocable resources—once spent, you cannot get them back.

If you want to vie for the attention of any generation, not just the younger ones that we often blame, but even the older ones like me and above, there’s one key element you need to focus on. Here's your silver bullet. You ready? You probably need to write this down. It's one word, starts with a C: Clarity.

Employees crave clarity more than anything else—more than money, perks, and benefits. But many organizations make the mistake of waiting to provide clarity until after new hires have started. The approach is backwards. Clarity should be present from the very beginning, even before day one. Your hiring process is a preview of what potential employees can expect if they come to work with you. If it's chaotic or non-existent, then guess what they’re going to assume? They're going to assume their experience is going to be chaotic and non-existent too.

The same goes for your onboarding process. Many companies either do not have a structured onboarding program or, if they do, it's disorganized. The lack of clarity can lead new employees to start looking for their next job on their very first day. Now, of course, they’re not going to leave on day one, but they’ll start looking.

Some organizations and businesses pride themselves on a "throw them to the wolves" approach to new hires, then wonder why nobody wants to work anymore. But that's not the real issue. Young adults do want to work—it's part of human nature. The problem is that they don't want to work in chaos.

Back 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, you really didn't have many options. You just had to go to work where you went to work. But now people have options. As business owners and leaders, it's our responsibility to provide clarity as an antidote to chaos.

This does not mean coddling employees or lowering expectations. Instead, it means creating an environment where people understand what's expected of them and how their work contributes to the bigger picture. When you provide clarity—your mission will help significantly with this—you are more likely to have employees who not only want to work but want to bring their best efforts every day.

They will be motivated to give what Chick-fil-A calls their "full-time best effort" because they have a clear understanding of what they're working for and why it matters. Clarity is not just about explaining tasks or roles; it's about creating a transparent, even vulnerable, well-structured environment where employees can thrive.

When you prioritize clarity from the start, you're setting the stage for engaged, committed employees who are ready to contribute their best work. So it may be worth asking yourself and your team: Where are we not providing clarity? From before we start hiring, through the hiring process, to the onboarding process after they've been hired—and not only that, but also for our existing team—where are we not being clear?

Meet together and work on that. If you want something to implement, go to mybusinessonpurpose.com/healthy to take that assessment. Also, our new book The Chaos Free Contractor is out. Little hint: it's a really good book for any business owner, but it's targeted specifically to contractors. So if you're a contractor or a contractor-support business, make sure to grab a copy of The Chaos Free Contractor. You can find it on our website and also on Amazon.

Want a team that shows up motivated and ready to work? Visit businessonpurpose.com/ask for expert help and free resources!

To check the health of your business, visit mybusinessonpurpose.com/healthy today!

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