On paper, she seemed like exactly the person we were looking for and I forwarded the resumé to Louise. She also thought it looked good, and contacted the candidate, Cindy, to come in for an interview conducted by Louise, Hector and me.

From the moment Cindy walked in, she seemed to be cut out for the position. Her skills and experience were excellent, she was well-spoken, poised and passionate about the industry.

A Strong Disagreement

During the interview, Cindy mentioned that she was still looking for a reliable daycare center for her two-year-old son.

After this, I sensed a change in the conversation. Louise's tone seemed to shift and it felt like she was suddenly in a hurry to conclude the interview. Fortunately, we were almost through anyway, and about five minutes later she showed Cindy out.

Hector and I both thought we had just found the perfect candidate. When Louise returned, we asked her what she thought of Cindy.

Louise grudgingly agreed that Cindy's skills and personality were perfectly suited to the position. Then she said, "But she has a child which means that her child is going to get sick, and she will want to have time off and that's going to be ONE BIG mess!" Hector and I disagreed. Louise became furious and eventually stormed out. We appointed Cindy anyway.

Hiring a Person, Not an Object

Although Louise managed our affiliate business well, her staff turnover was high. She saw team members as "objects" that had to do the work and bring in money. The rest didn't matter.

I felt strongly about holding her to account for how she treated team members because many of them confided in me. However, seeing that Louise's department was profitable, Hector wasn't keen on taking serious steps against her.

I've often wondered how many scarred and traumatized people she left in her wake – all in the name of making money.

How to Humanize the Workplace

The past few days I've reflected deeply upon what I think a humanized workplace should be like. I thought of a great many characteristics of the culture and people of such a workplace.

Connection First

After much thought, I came to the conclusion that this is the foundation: a humanized workplace is one where people intentionally connect with one another – sideways, up and down, across departments, structures, countries, and continents. It creates an invisible foundation that provides strength and safety – much like how the human skeleton provides the structure around which a human is built.

All of it has to be connected to work well. If you break even one small bone, the system is compromised. But also, when we're connected, if you can't reach one person for some reason, there is always someone else you can reach out to.

Belonging

Wherever true, intentional connection takes place, belonging follows on its heels. Belonging means there are others who have your back, no matter how different you are. In a recent podcast, Brené Brown said that true belonging doesn't require you to change who you are – it requires you to be who you are.

Zero Discrimination

While creating a place of belonging, you're proactively educating people and creating awareness about diversity because no one should ever feel awkward about their accent, race, socioeconomic background or status, gender, sexual orientation, personality, or physical appearance.

Psychological Safety

Humanized workplaces don't only foster connection and belonging, but also take people's circumstances into account at any given time. They understand that I am not you and you are not me.

It's safe to be vulnerable, to ask for help, to grieve about loss, to be excited about change, and to pursue opportunities for growth. They support without judgment, and leaders and colleagues will actively step in and help.

Showing the Way

In my opinion, managers and leaders in a humanized workplace are like "refreshment stations." That's where you check in to make sure you're going in the right direction, where you're inspired, energized, given time to reflect, and where you can ask for help.

There Is Grace

I propose that a humanized workplace is one where there is enough grace and understanding going around for everyone to have their fill – and have some left over.

In an ironic twist, Louise fell pregnant about a year after Cindy's appointment. After becoming a mother, she needed time off to take her child to the doctor. She wanted us to understand and be lenient if she had a tough night with little or no sleep. She expected that things like making calls during work time to find an emergency babysitter would be overlooked. In short, she needed the grace and understanding in all the situations that she begrudged Cindy.

What's Next?

People matter. They’re at the heart of your team and your organization. So, it’s important to make sure their needs are met and that they’re treated well and fairly. Check out these Mind Tools resources to build your skills in humanizing the workplace.

Empathy at Work. Learn about different types of empathy and how to see things from others’ points of view.

Emotional Intelligence. Our video and article share tips on improving your emotional self-awareness and your rapport with your team.

Tip of the Week

Quick AI Prompts for Managers

By Melanie Bell, Mind Tools Content Editor

Artificial intelligence can seem intimidating – but it doesn’t have to be, and it can save your team a lot of work!

If you're new to using AI, here’s a quick exercise to get you started.

Open up a Large Language Model (LLM), such as ChatGPT, and test out the prompts below. Many LLMs are free to use; you simply need to set up an account.

The following are prompts that can help managers in separate work-related situations. Type one of these in and see what the AI comes up with:

• Write a 150-word email to encourage customers to subscribe to our company newsletter on [insert topic].
• Review the business document below and make five suggestions to improve it. Consider spelling and grammar, clarity and engagement. [Copy and paste a business document you wrote below the prompt.]
• List 10 opportunities for a team member I supervise to grow and develop their skills. They work as [their job] in [their industry] and would like to [briefly describe their ambitions].

By providing as much relevant information and context as possible, the results you receive back will be more likely to suit your purpose. And think of the results as a jumping-off point – take the responses it gives you and then check and refine them.

For more tips on using AI at work, see our article How to Use AI as a Manager.

Pain Points Podcast

Don't miss the latest episode of our “Pain Points” podcast!

Every week, Jonathan Hancock and guests discuss a common workplace challenge and share their experiences and learning. Past topics include delegation, distractions and interviewing.

Hear stories, insights and tips from people who understand the challenges we all face at work – in “Pain Points,” the new podcast exclusive to Mind Tools members.

Subscribe today!

News Roundup

This Week's Global Workplace Insights

"Heroic" Jobs Earn Less Money

Are you in a job where you’re seen as “selfless”? An article from BBC Worklife has bad news for you (which you probably already know): you’re likely to be earning a lower salary in exchange for that altruistic reputation.

Professionals such as teachers, veterans, health care workers, and firefighters do important jobs that can see them be labeled as “heroes.” They’re expected to care more about serving others than about big paychecks. And there’s a price to pay for that.

Research from Duke University has found that “hero” jobs are paid less well than other positions and tend to have worse working conditions. Essentially, their reputation encourages workplace exploitation.

What to Do When You're Disengaged at Work

A Gallup poll has found that over half are of employees are “not engaged” at work, while 18 percent claim they are very disengaged and were acting against their organization’s best interests.

That’s a lot of disengagement. If you feel some of this tedium yourself, or if others do on your team, Harvard Business Review offers some tips.

• Analyze the situation objectively.
• At the end of the day, review what went well, and then disconnect from work. If you work from home, for example, put the laptop away.
• Try meditation and exercise.
• Be compassionate toward yourself.
• Connect with friends and colleagues.

For more advice on engaging team members, watch our video Building Employee Engagement.

See you next week for more member-exclusive content and insight from the Mind Tools team!