According to the 2007 Iowa Employment Values Study, conducted recently by David P. Lind and Associates of Clive, employees rated respect as their No. 1 workplace value.

Out of 11 choices, respect surfaced as the most important factor for both men and women and also among all age groups.

So what does respecting employees have to do with recruiting employees? Simple. In these times of full employment, workers have choices. If employees are not feeling respected at their jobs, it is very likely that they will look for a new job. This means costly recruiting for employers.

In Lind’s study, 16 percent of those surveyed said they are “likely to resign in the next 12 months.” Another recent study found that 18 percent of workers plan to look for another job.

But retention is not the only goal. Employees who stay and do not feel respected will be a drag on the organization. “Presenteeism” is a drain on everything you’re trying to achieve.

If employers want to retain and engage workers, they should find ways to show employees they respect them. Respect, like trust, must be earned and demonstrated.

Well-known management guru and author Ken Blanchard and his co-author, the legendary National Football League coach Don Shula, say in “The Little Book of Coaching: Motivating People to Be Winners,” “the most common response people get for their performance is no response. They do something, and no one says anything. The next most common response is negative – they get zapped. As a result, many managers are seen as ‘seagull managers.’ They are not around until something goes wrong, and then they fly in, make a lot of noise, dump on people and then fly out.”

Blanchard says positive responses and redirection are the least used techniques and yet the most effective. “When someone does something wrong, redirection focuses his or her energy back on what the original goal was. A positive consequence is welcome when a person does something right.”

Taking the time to redirect demonstrates you care; reinforcing a job well done shows respect. Employees want helpful and respectful feedback. David Sirota, author of “The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit By Giving Workers What They Want,” recommends the following practices to show respect for employees.

• Provide helpful feedback and coaching on how to perform.

• Value people as individuals and give them a sense of inclusion.

• Recognize employees for their accomplishments.

Of course overt rudeness and abusive behavior show lack of respect, but so do acts of omission. Managers should be on the lookout for employee successes and desired behaviors and then recognize and reward them. Managers who ignore employees or give only negative feedback will likely find themselves recruiting new employees.

Think about this: If you are too busy looking for the snake in the grass, you’ll fail to see the eagle soar.

Karla Wright is an organizational development and human resources management consultant based in West Des Moines.