Q12 Article Series: Q5 - My Supervisor, or Someone at Work, Seems to Care about Me as a Person
Thriving workplaces are built on trust, empathy, and connection. Gallup’s research highlights that employees who believe their supervisor genuinely cares about them tend to be more engaged, loyal, and productive. When people feel supported and valued as individuals, not just as employees, they are more likely to bring their best selves to work.
Caring isn’t just about checking in with employees during a crisis or offering a pat on the back after a project is complete. It’s about building genuine relationships and being invested in both the professional and personal growth of team members.
To determine ways in which individuals and teams resonate with someone at work caring about them as a person, Gallup suggests the following guiding questions:
- How do you let your colleagues know that you care about their contributions and their successes?
- How can we as a team set each other up for success?
- Do we spend enough time with our team members (one-on-one time)?
- Can customers (students, community members, internal partners, etc.) sense an uncaring environment? How does that impact their interactions with us?
There are many ways supervisors and peers can demonstrate they care, ranging from small acts of kindness to more structured efforts of support:
- Active Listening and Meaningful Conversations: According to Gallup, managers and their employees who participate in meaningful, authentic, genuine, and focused discussions for only 15-30 minutes per week have a significant impact on employee engagement. Tips for meaningful conversations can be found on the Engagement at Mason website.
- Personal Recognition and Appreciation: It’s more than acknowledging great work. Personal recognition might mean celebrating milestones in an employee’s life outside of work, a significant personal achievement, or simply remembering a birthday. HR’s Recognition and Appreciation Toolkit can support appreciation opportunities. The toolkit includes virtual celebration backgrounds, printable cards, and more!
- Flexibility and Understanding: Offering flexibility when employees face personal challenges or making accommodations for work-life balance shows a genuine concern for their well-being.
- Mentorship and Development: Supervisors who care, invest time in helping employees grow. This might include providing opportunities for learning, advocating for their advancement, or offering guidance on career paths.
- Well-Being Support: Offering support that prioritizes well-being shows employees that they are valued beyond their job titles. This can be through formal resources like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), CommonHealth, the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being's programs or simply encouraging time for self-care.
- Encouraging Peer Support: Caring isn’t just a top-down approach. Create opportunities for faculty and staff to connect with and support each other. This can be through mentoring programs, team-building activities, or simply fostering a culture where people are encouraged to be themselves. Contact the HR Organizational Development and Learning team for support in these areas at hrlearn@gmu.edu.
- Valuing the Whole Person: Recognize that employees bring their whole selves to work, including their personal challenges, passions, and strengths. When people feel like they can be their authentic selves, their sense of belonging deepens.
Supervisors and individual contributors are encouraged to show genuine care for faculty and staff as we all strive to “Thrive Together”.
For additional information, visit the Faculty and Staff Experience Survey website or email engagehr@gmu.edu.