If Dneero would ask me to contribute a survey, I will submit one where participants would only include company owners, entrepreneurs, or businesspersons. My survey would include this question:
Which do you value most in an employee - loyalty or efficiency?
Let's say I am the owner of a company (no harm dreaming :-D one day, who knows?), I would readily choose efficiency over loyalty.
Loyalty, especially here in the Philippines, is an abused word. It is usually a state where employees misuse the attachment they have to the owner. It is usually a license to do whatever, including being inefficient, and even at the cost of jeopardizing harmony or healthy work relationship. It is not even close to being devoted to one's work, or principle.
Most loyal workers or employees in the Philippines are inefficient. The truest sense of the word is often ignored. What is prevalent in most organizations here is loyalty to a person not to one's duty or work. These loyal workers are often branded sipsip (connotation attributed to sucking synonymous to devouring one's resources). These workers belong to the degenerate class - incompetent, idle, irresponsible, brainless. These workers do not contribute anything. They are unnecessary expenses. They only give information which, more than anything else, is more beneficial to them, and not to the company or the whole organization in general.
Now, translate all these with the opposite as the meaning. And that is why I choose efficiency over loyalty.
I'd look at both b/c in a company we need efficiency definitely and also sense of loyalty in the company. In Malaysia, the word "loyalty" is not strong and hardly taken notice of (that is what I think). Of course both can hardly come by but it's better to learn how to be efficient and loyal if possible.
ReplyDeleteloyalty is very important, kyels, especially if it is faithfulness to one's work. who will not prefer someone who is loyal when devotion to one's work is equivalent to being effective, and at times, being efficient?
ReplyDeletebut most workers/employees misconstrue the real meaning of the word, especially here in the Philippines.
[...] Loyalty or Efficiency? « Warmstone [...]
ReplyDeleteWithout being judgmental, efficiency comes from a bit of tenure in work. Tenure = loyalty, how else can it be construed. Sure someone can be efficient from day one. Imagine what he/she can do if they stay a bit longer.
ReplyDeleteOn my first job - my boss, who eventually became the managing director of this very large multi-national, told me that he has some hesitation in hiring me. He said that from my background I can be very efficient and a quick learn, and that in his experience people like me don't stick around very long. He hired me anyway - and he was right - I lasted 3 months.
I go for efficiency. I work for a private company that is so result-oriented. Not to mention that it gives emphasis on employees' perforformance. In fact we have rewards based on performance. But I am not saying that it is purely that. -because this same company is run by individuals who may have personal biases, etc.. We're all humans after al -and affected by emotions/feelings. But I won't go in that direction because that's too deep already. :-)
ReplyDeleteBut who says one cannot be efficient and loyal at the same time? It can be done. But it's a tough thing to do. But if efficiency is compromised, I'll somehow work a way around that.
hi, rommel. but that is where the problem arises, when owners prefer loyal workers or employees who stay but are inefficient. i see it this way - company owners should work on how the efficient ones will stay longer at alagaan sila. definitely they will not stay longer if they are not treated fair or are not compensated accordingly.
ReplyDeletei know there are many factors why employees stay or leave. i hope this post did not give any impression that i am judging people but these are from observations working in manufacturing set ups in the Philippines. there are still people who stay that are efficient but are not given fair pay for a fair day's work.
The best combination would be an efficient and loyal employee. But if I can't have both, I would definitely choose efficiency. Having efficient employees would help ensure the long-term survival and profitability of my business. A loyal but inefficient employee will stay with me as my business sinks.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Bingskee. I'd also prefer efficiency. What's loyalty if the employee doesn't deliver? But if an efficient employee decides to resign and go to another company where he has better opportunities, I would let him go and even give him a good recommendation and a big thank you for the job well done in my company (like you... it doesn't hurt to dream). :)
ReplyDeleteI would add another quality though... integrity.
hi, mama meji. it's nice to hear your insights. giving rewards on employee performance is nice especially if it is not done with bias. there are always risks performing the evaluation process, you know. like you, i also wish that a worker can be efficient and loyal at the same time. :-)
ReplyDeletei agree with you, panaderos. company owners who choose loyal but inefficient employees or workers may have reasons but i see it as a reflection of their own personalities. it's like saying that they are not also efficient. imagine a boss thriving on malicious reports by these 'loyal' employees or workers.
the ability to deliver is very important, toe. if a company is founded on results and principles then it would not be difficult to identify efficient employees. i share the same view that if an efficient employee has to resign and cannot be stopped from his plans, i would not stop him. we all have our set goals. who are we to block his path?
integrity is very important, too, toe. with it goes efficiency. :-)
Positions of trust would often err more towards loyalty than efficiency. What I mean by not being judgmental is that there are situation when you would weigh one more than the other - it's just human nature, you keep the people you are comfortable with, expecting that the trust was earned from a bit of loyalty and results.
ReplyDeleteWhere the rubber meets the road that's where you would err more on efficiency. The way I see it - it's not just the company that decides whether to keep loyal or efficient staff (granting that those are the only options) - but rather the individual has the same option as to stay out-of-loyalty or if it's more important to be valued for efficiency and move on to where you could contribute most.
hi, rommeli am pleased to hear you again about this post. :-)
ReplyDeletepositions of trust like someone assigned to report on what is happening in the company? that to me is the problem. more often than not people given these positions are self-centered. i give respect to the owner's preference but most of the time, they are mislead by wrong info.
i agree with your last paragraph.
I'd prefer efficiency because in fairness to the company who pays our salary, we ought to deliver what is expected of us.
ReplyDeleteLoyalty is a great trait because it does reinforce the employee's sense of belonging and pride of what he does for a living. It's nice to have both but there are people who only care about what goes into their pocket. In this case, business is business and he ought to deliver what he is being paid for and no one will give a hoot of he resigns the next day :)
i agree with you, bw. the concept of loyalty is often misconstrued.
ReplyDelete