Over half of employees aren’t regularly shown respect from their boss, according to ‘What is your quality of life at work’ by Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath with theHarvard Business Review.

The survey, which was based on a study of nearly 20,000 employees around the world, found that when managers and leaders treat employees with respect, then they are more engaged. Yet it found that 54% didn’t get that respect, and as a result they were less engaged, less focused, less productive, and so less likely to contribute to the business’ performance.

Those employees that said they were respected by their managers and leaders reported:

• Better health and well-being
• More trust and safety
• Greater enjoyment and satisfaction with their jobs
• Greater focus and prioritisation
• More meaning and significance
• More employee loyalty

What is interesting is that the survey found that being treated with respect was more important to those employees surveyed than communicating an inspiring vision, providing useful feedback and opportunities for development and learning.

Why is respect important?

When employees feel respected by their manager and each other, and managers feel respected by their employees, it encourages a happy and harmonious working atmosphere. It’s an atmosphere that encourages collaboration, communication and co-operation. Quite simply, things get done more quickly and more smoothly.

This means that, workplaces that have a culture that fosters respect for all are more productive, have better customer service scores, better quality product and services, and improved profitability.

But there are other benefits too. When employees feel respected by their manager, their general behaviour improves, they are less toxic: for example there are fewer rumours, taking credit for others’ work, or assigning blame onto others.

A lack of respect from managers and leaders can lead to toxic employees, and toxic employees can often be more destructive to an organisation, than if they just left.

If lack of respect is an issue, what can be done about it?

The problem is that one person’s definition of respect is different to the next person’s, and often people don’t realise the effect the way they treat others has on that person. So if you want to promote a culture of respect in your workplace, then here are five things you can do:

• Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Get to know your employees so you can understand what respect means to them. You can then treat them with the respect they want and need.
• Be aware of your own actions and how you come across to others. Leaders set the tone, and need to lead by example; this means modelling good behaviour, and being aware of the impact of your behaviour.
• Ask for feedback from your employees. Don’t be afraid of 360 degree
  reviews, ask your employees what they like and don’t like about your leadership style – it may be something really simple, like looking at your phone during meetings, that you can easily change.
• Emphasise your appreciation of your employees. Make it part of your day-to-day role to recognise good work, being a role model, or where someone has gone out of their way to help someone else.
• Monitor recruitment processes to make sure you hire the right people, with the right attitude. A robust recruitment process, perhaps including a group interview with other members of the team, can help pick up on behaviour that isn’t always demonstrated in a formal interview setting.