In modern workday culture, everything revolves around pleasing the employee. Work environment policies, company culture, and benefits are all examples of areas that employers are now intentionally focusing on to ensure that their employees feel valued, important, and safe. While it is incredibly important and a positive move to forward our society, we forget that the bosses still need some respect and honor as well. So, let’s address a few ways to enjoy this new era of employees being treated well in the workplace, but at the same time provide the same level of value, respect, and honor, to employers. Maybe after reading these four tips and applying them to your daily interactions with your boss, you can finally get that promotion.

1. Come to work ready to help your employer succeed.

With a significant amount of the work environment being employee-focused, the actual work itself should be dedicated to the success of the employer and the company. Every time you clock in for work, you should tune your mindset to do anything that can help your employer be at a more successful state than the one they are in right now. Every time you are on the job, you (the employee) should ask yourself questions like “How can I use my role to better the company?”, “What can I do to lighten my boss’s workload?”, and “How can I exceed my boss’s expectations of me?” Each of these questions is a prime example of the type of mindset that will improve your employer’s work environment. If you can’t answer these questions for yourself, then just ask your employer. They will be very happy to see that you are not on the job to only benefit yourself, but that you genuinely care about their success and that of the company as well.

2. Learn, know, and understand your employer.

On the subject of asking questions, focus on questions that will help you understand your employer. How are you going to help your boss if you do not know what they are trying to accomplish? How are you going to exceed expectations if you do not have a good grasp of the standards? “Research also shows that open communication between managers and employees is essential to building trust and therefore improving the quality of organizational culture in the workplace”  (PR Newswire, 2010). Every person, employer, and company, is different. Do not try to do things based off of what your former employer liked, or what you have heard other people do for their boss. Ask your employer about the specific duties they expect you to accomplish, even if they are not mentioned in your job description. Personalize your work skills to fit the company, and then use the new information and abilities that you acquire over time to set new standards for yourself. This will please your boss because they will notice that you are taking initiative and intentionally making time to understand and address their needs. There is no better way to make someone feel appreciated.

3. Take the initiative.

Once you know and understand your employer, start taking initiative in tasks that you have a high degree of confidence that they will appreciate. An example would be noticing that your manager has a busy week, and the company just got a new hire in your department. The manager tells the new hire what to do, but then he is barely available for the rest of the week because of all the other tasks he has to fulfill. Before the manager even comes to ask you to train the new hire, you should already be on it. You can show the new hire the daily routines of the office, company culture, a typical day in your department, what their daily tasks will consist of, and how to accomplish certain tasks. If the new hire has any questions, you should make sure that you are the first point of contact that they go to so that they do not rely too much on the manager’s time. As you fulfill this task, you should do it fully and happily, so that the new hire feels welcomed and follows the positive energy and attitude that you bring to the job. If the manager sees this, they will be very pleased because you would have lightened their workload, taken initiative as a leader would, and attributed great value to the company. This is what giving back to the boss is all about!

4. Fulfill your side of the bargain.

Industry and business leaders are starting to realize that whenever they are intentional about improving the workplace to make their employees feel happier, safer, and more fulfilled on the job, it motivates their team to show that same level of intentionality, if not more, through their work. So as an employee, you have to stick to your end of the bargain. Since the employers are doing their part to make your work life better, you should do your part to make their company better:

• Get to work on time and give your boss their money’s worth of work until you clock out. We all know that sometimes life is unpredictable and there are random inconveniences that can ruin your morning and make you late for work, such as a flat tire, accidents, or a sick child. These should be the only reasons you should ever be late for work. Since your boss is counting on you to be at work on time, you should take the responsibility to make sure that you are punctual each day, with no excuses. Once you get to work, you should make sure that the time you spend there is productive and pushes the company forward. Fulfill your daily responsibilities, help other coworkers whenever you can, and ask for more tasks if you complete yours early.
• Respect the people around you and be an example of a respectable employee. Though employers are making the workplace safer, more enjoyable, and comfortable, it is your responsibility to make sure that you don’t counteract those efforts. Employees should always find ways to make work even more enjoyable for the people they work with. Offer a helping hand if a team member is struggling with job responsibilities that you know how to do, ask them about their well-being, be compassionate, and respect their space and belongings. 
• Treat your work space with care. Employers spend thousands of dollars on office equipment to make sure that everyone has efficient tools and technology to successfully push the company to the next level. With this in mind, you as the employee, should treat every piece of equipment with great value because that shows respect to the employer and the investment that is poured into them. Keep your work space clean and organized, handle each office equipment with care, and only use the amount of material that is needed to fulfill the task.

Each of these things is a way to show your employer that they made the right investment in choosing you for your job. It lifts their spirits knowing that investing in a great company culture and work environment returns such great work ethic into the company. This will encourage them to keep on focusing on maintaining a healthy work space for their employees while simultaneously pushing the company to newer heights. Everybody wins! #DoItForTheEmployers