Employees as volunteers, not assets

Rethinking Employee Retention 5 Lessons Learned from Treating Employees 
as Volunteers, Not Assets

As organizations strive to retain top talent, it's essential to shift our a
approach from treating employees as mere assets to be managed and improved,
improved, to viewing them as volunteers who bring unique skills and perspec
perspectives to the table. By adopting this mindset, we can create cultures
cultures that foster engagement, motivation, and long-term commitment.

Lesson 1 Recognize the Limitations of Financial Statements

Financial statements provide valuable insights into an organization's finan
financial performance, but they often fall short in capturing the intangibl
intangible value of employees. Talented individuals bring a wealth of knowl
knowledge and skills to their work, which can be difficult or impossible to
to quantify using traditional financial metrics. By acknowledging these lim
limitations, organizations can shift their focus from mere asset management
management to investing in people.

Lesson 2 Compensatory Benefits Are Just That - Compensation

While perks and benefits can be attractive motivators, they should not repl
replace a sense of purpose or fulfillment. Employees are complex individual
individuals with unique needs and motivations that extend beyond mere compe
compensation. By recognizing this, organizations can create cultures that s
support their employees' well-being and personal growth.

Lesson 3 Intellectual Capital is Contributed by Members

When employees leave an organization, it's not just the end of a contractua
contractual agreement - it's also the cessation of their intellectual capit
capital contribution. No amount of investment or gimmicks can justify restr
restraining talented individuals from pursuing new opportunities. Instead, 
organizations should focus on creating environments where people feel value
valued and fulfilled, knowing that this will ultimately benefit the organiz
organization as well.

Lesson 4 Shift Focus to Organizational Culture

A company's culture is often the deciding factor in employee retention. By 
prioritizing values beyond profit, organizations can create a sense of purp
purpose that resonates with their employees. This means focusing on storyte
storytelling, addressing social or sustainability issues, and prioritizing 
impact over profits.

Lesson 5 Rectify Your Approach to Employee Retention

In conclusion, treating employees as volunteers rather than assets requires
requires a fundamental shift in approach. By recognizing the limitations of
of financial statements, acknowledging the importance of compensatory benef
benefits, valuing intellectual capital contributions, shifting focus to org
organizational culture, and rectifying your approach to employee retention,
retention, organizations can create environments where people feel valued, 
fulfilled, and motivated to stay.

By adopting these lessons, we can move beyond treating employees as mere as
assets and instead view them as the unique individuals they are. This will 
lead to a more engaged, motivated, and committed workforce - ultimately ben
benefiting both the organization and its employees.

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.