What is loyalty and is there some in your firm?

Pepa Vassileva – Managing Director in BEIED (Business Educational International Economic Development) - Bulgaria

The loyalty in the business world has a lot of dimensions. I can mention what I have seen from the practice. A loyal employee understands likes and accepts the firm’s culture and the values of the organization. He identifies himself with the firm and its sincere defender in front of the business environment, works for the implementation of the company’s goals and pays special attention to the quality and efficiency of his work. If the personnel are good trained not the quality but the effect of the good done job is a criteria of a loyalty to the firm. Last but not least, I think that an employee is truly loyal if he feels himself complete and prosperous in his job to the company. If he sustains the firm only because he is in a dead – lock or inertness, than one can not truly rely on him. When an employee has also other real opportunities and offers but rejects them, then we can say that he is trustful. Such an environment between the employers and the employees can exist only if the firm trusts the employees as much as the employees trust the firm. Thereto belongs also promotions, internship’s opportunities, ESOP’s1 and perquisites2. My experience leads to the conclusion that the employees are most satisfied if they feel that they are helpful, different, free and inspired. Another very important act of loyalty to the employees is the good communication between the different levels management levels and divisions and transparency of information. The existence of a good leadership in the firm is also a precondition of loyalty and safety among the employees.