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Today, we would like to discuss and ponder the topic of ‘Employee loyalty’. Just recently, a few young people in the church mentioned it as a workplace reality these days. From time to time, we would hear about a friend who was retrenched the moment he reached middle age after working in the company for about twenty years. On one hand, a lot of companies seem ‘heartless’ in terminating their long-term staff with hardly any room for negotiation. On the other hand, many enterprises place an emphasis on the loyalty of employees during recruitment.
I thought that our listeners who are middle aged or older will recall that a lot of companies value ‘employee loyalty’. New employees usually has to learn on the job and adapt to the workplace conditions. The company may be thrown into chaos if the staff is not dedicated and leaves immediately after the training. Therefore, during recruitment, the company will look at how frequently the candidate has changed jobs. If it is often, such a person comes across as impetuous and disloyal. He may not even be interviewed. However, once a person is employed, he may possibly stay in the company all his life if the company treats him well.
In the past few years, the rapid development of technology has propelled constant transformations in the business landscape. Many companies these days are willing to invest in attracting capable staff. If you are capable, they will provide you with income, benefits, and a status beyond your expectations. However, when a more capable person appears, you must be prepared to leave. The relationship between the company and the employee is like a value transaction – I will work as long as you pay me. The concept of loyalty no longer exists.
Some workplace Christians feel perplexed when they encounter such realities. This world is so utilitarian. Do I have to go with the crowd and forsake being loyal to my enterprise?
Dear friends, have you thought about this question: Should we be loyal at the workplace? If so, who should we be loyal to?
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First of all, how do we assess an employee’s loyalty towards his company? Does loyalty mean that a person has worked in the company for a long period of time? Maybe not. The reasons for loyalty could be that his superior values him, treats him well, and gives him good remuneration. Or perhaps, he hopes to be promoted to a higher position. Or it could even be the comfortable work environment, so he doesn’t think of leaving.
I knew a friend who had been reading the recruitment advertisements in the newspapers every day and would send out a few resumes every week. One day, he finally succeeded in changing jobs after almost six years of painstakingly looking for a job every day. Do you think he is more ‘loyal’ than those who switch jobs after three years?
Time, therefore, cannot prove anything. What about money? For instance, one company is willing to pay 30% more than my current salary to employ me. If I leave, does it mean that I am disloyal? If another party is willing to pay 50% more or, even double and I leave now, does it mean that I am more loyal now compared to the former situation described here? Another scenario - the company business is poor and can’t pay the salary, so I can only strive for two months before resigning. Another colleague, who has more savings, soldiers on for half a year. Compared to him, do I lack commitment?
We discover that it is extremely difficult to use time or money to assess the degree of an employee’s loyalty towards his company. It is hard to quantify it.
The question that Christians should focus on is: Should we be ‘loyal’ to our company, our boss or supervisor?
My friend once faced such a question. I will call him ‘Xiao Zhang’. A few years ago, while he was looking for a job, Xiao Li, a brother-in-Christ from his church, invited him to join his company. After praying, Xiao Zhang was sure that this job was a calling from God. The position and job responsibilities were appropriate for his expertise, so he sent his resume. Subsequently, Xiao Zhang cleared the interview successfully and they began working in the company. Xiao Zhang even entered Xiao Li’s department and became his subordinate.
After a few years, Xiao Li unexpectedly left this company because he could not see eye to eye with his boss. He hoped that Xiao Zhang would leave with him.
This matter put Xiao Zhang on the spot. On a personal level, he and Xiao Li were from the same church and were friends for many years. Furthermore, his current job was recommended by Xiao Li. What was the newly appointed superior like? Which direction was the company heading towards? All these were unforeseen. Xiao Zhang felt very perplexed. He didn’t know what to do. Who should he be loyal to?
Just when he could not make up his mind, Xiao Li came to look for him and saw that he was hesitant. Xiao Li said to him: “No wonder you don’t wish to leave! Other than me, you are the most senior in this department. Once I leave, the boss will promote you.” After hearing this, Xiao Zhang felt pressurised. If he stayed on, it was equivalent to betraying his friend.
Dear friends, if you were him, what would you choose? On one hand, it involved a close friend. On the other hand, it was about the new boss in the enterprise. Who would you choose to be faithful to?
Let us look at a few possible choices Xiao Zhang had.
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The first option was to leave with Xiao Li. The reason was because of their friendship. Right from the start, Xiao Li recommended this job to him, so Xiao Zhang should leave with him. If not, he would let Xiao Li down. This decision was based on their friendship.
The second choice was to stay on because Xiao Zhang liked this company, and the new boss seemed quite good. The future prospects of this company were not too bad. What if he and Xiao Li made a fresh start somewhere else and failed? The risks were too high. Such a decision would not be counted as being loyal to the company. It was just the result of weighing the pros and cons.
The third option was to leave the company and find another way out but with no intention to join Xiao Li’s new company. In fact, this was a silent protest in the midst of pressure from a friend. “You recommended this job to me but now, I had to resign as you could not see eye to eye with the boss. Alright, I will quit, but I owe you nothing now.”
Ultimately, he was at the mercy of others by making such a decision. Even though he was decisive, it gave the impression that he did not dare to offend others.
Dear friends, when it comes to ‘employee loyalty’, many people are caught between relationships and personal benefits. However, I am very glad that this friend wasn’t trapped in such a situation. He agonised over the decision for a while and admitted that he couldn’t make a perfect decision. His brothers and sisters-in-Christ in the church prayed for him. After a prayerful consideration, he clearly saw one point. First and foremost, he should be faithful to God’s calling at the workplace. Other issues were secondary.
Once this principle was crystal clear, it was obvious as to where he should be. God’s calling for him had not changed, so he wouldn’t resign. He communicated this with Xiao Li candidly. He also thanked Xiao Li for recommending this job to him and the pleasant time of cooperation during the past few years. He told Xiao Li that he chose to stay the course and hold fast to God’s calling for his life. It was not to replace him in the company. Finally, they reached an understanding, blessed each other, and promised to extend a helping hand when the other party was in need.
Until now, this friend is still working in the same company. It is not because he is loyal to the company. Rather, he has chosen to be faithful to his calling.
Dear friends, we see that workplace Christians should not be entangled in the issue of who we should be loyal to – that is, the company or the boss. Ultimately, we must be faithful to God’s calling for our lives.
The essential point is not to leave or to stay. The crux is the rationale for our decision. The plans for our jobs and our lives should be centred on God’s calling for us. We must be faithful to God and treat people sincerely. When we assume a position, we have to work diligently and resolve the issues in the company. Before leaving, we have to handover our responsibilities dutifully. All these are the basic requirements of workplace Christians. If we fulfil all these responsibilities, we will have a clear conscience regardless of whether we stay or leave.
Some of us may say that this is true for the typical business corporation. However, if I work in a Christian owned company or organisation, should I be more loyal?
I once came across this post by a netizen: “I wanted to apply for a job in a company but they only hired Christians and had a Christian culture in the enterprise. They required the staff to adhere to the Word of God and emphasized on being grateful and faithful to the company. However, their given salary was less than the market rate. What do you think of such a company?”
At first glance, when this friend raised such an issue, he had already realised that something was amiss. What was it?
First of all, this ‘Christ-centred’ enterprise stressed on the loyalty of their staff and demanded that they uphold the Word of God but failed to mention the company’s responsibilities.
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Why did the mere mention of ‘loyalty’ point to the loyalty of the staff towards the company rather than the other way round? Did the boss of this company regard himself as God? Even though this company might be set up by Christians, there were discrepancies with their faith as seen from their recruitment requirements. They seemed to be self-centred. They tried to exploit the labour of their staff under the guise of religion.
Therefore, we would like to remind brothers and sisters to keep their eyes open while searching for jobs. A self-proclaimed enterprise with a Christian culture may not be one in reality.
We know that a good culture in the enterprise will inspire us in the long run and increase the loyalty of the employees. A business culture which is based on the truth in the Bible possesses tremendous impact. However, the Christian enterprise culture is not about putting a few Bibles in the company and pasting a few Christian verses on the wall. A business culture which is built on the foundation of Christian faith, is a top-down approach to live out the truth of the Bible and put Christ’s love into action. Such an enterprise does not aim to use people as tools or resources in its recruitment. Instead, they see that humans are created in the image of God, are precious, and have lots of potential for growth. They are also to be respected and treasured.
If we are fortunate to be in a ‘Christ-centred’ enterprise, we will discover that the boss doesn’t demand our loyalty to the company. On the contrary, he will pursue growth together with us and be God’s faithful stewards, serving one another, the society, and others. In such a culture, the staff aren’t stifled by the rules. Instead, ‘how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity’!
I hope today’s episode helps you to focus on what is most important. Join us again next time on ‘Workplace Strategy’ as we learn more about how to live for Christ in the workplace!
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