Why Valuing Your People Is the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Business

What makes someone (happily) stay in a job for nearly 30 years?

It’s not just the pay packet (though that matters). It’s not fancy perks, the breakroom coffee machine, or a flash new office, either. Most of the time, it comes down to something much more human: feeling valued.

When people are respected, supported, and recognised for the work they do, they stick around. In the process, they help build both the business and the culture — something that requires everyone’s input in a business. 

We were reminded of this recently when we started cleaning for the Bakers Delight head office. During our first week on the job, we got chatting with a few of the staff. When we asked how long they’d been with the company, we were impressed to hear their answers: 19 years, 23 years, 29 years.

That kind of tenure isn’t a happy accident, or because their team is bribed with delicious bread. It’s the result of a workplace that values its people.

Why Valuing Your People Pays Off (Literally and Figuratively) 

You don’t need to run a big national company to build a strong culture. Whether you’re a team of three or three hundred, the same truth applies: when people feel seen, heard, and respected, they’re more likely to do their best work and stay.

And the numbers back it up. A 2024 report found that 83% of people who rated their workplace culture as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ felt motivated to produce high-quality work, compared to just 45% of those in poor or toxic cultures. That’s not a small gap, and definitely enough to make or break a business.

On the flip side? Poor treatment rarely flies under the radar for long. Disengagement spread, good people leave, and reputation — both internally and externally — takes a hit.

What Makes People Feel Valued?

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula, but there are a few universal (and tasty sounding) ingredients in the secret sauce for a good workplace culture. Here’s what we’ve seen make a real difference for our own teams and in workplaces we admire.

1. Respect

Sounds obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Respect means listening to people, involving them in decisions that affect their work, and treating everyone, regardless of their role, as essential. No one likes to feel invisible. Even small acknowledgements (a genuine ‘thank you’, or asking for someone’s opinion) can go a long way.

2. Reward

Paying people fairly and transparently, and recognising extra effort with appropriate remuneration should be the baseline. But besides pay rises and bonuses, reward can also mean celebrating wins, shouting someone a coffee after a tough week, or publicly recognising a job well done. 

3. Support

Life happens. People get sick, go through hard times, or need flexibility. This happens to all of us, no matter where we work. A workplace that offers support through policies, conversations, check-ins, and genuine care is one that earns trust. And trust is a two-way street: the more supported your team feels, the more they’ll support the business in return.

4. Growth

There’s nothing more demotivating than the feeling of being stuck. Giving people room to learn, lead, and grow is one of the clearest ways to show you believe in them. That might mean training, mentoring, or just offering someone the chance to try something new outside of their usual role. Investing in your people’s growth and communicating clearly with them that you care about their goals and are willing to work towards them shows people that they have a future with the business.

What We’re Doing at EarthWize

We’re not in the business of empty promises. We’re in the business of doing right by people, especially in an industry that’s famous for doing the opposite. We directly employ our cleaners, prioritise hiring people from disadvantaged backgrounds who are often overlooked, pay above award wages, and offer stable jobs with room to grow.

The result is a team that shows up for each other, and for our clients, every damn day. 

One of our team members, Ben, joined us earlier this year after a long stretch of knock-backs from other employers. Despite showing up, trying hard, and being more than capable, he was repeatedly overlooked, often judged solely on the way he looked, which carries marks of a difficult past.

We first met Ben over a year ago and saw potential in him straight away. When the right opportunity came up, we gave him the chance that others wouldn’t. And we’re so glad we did. Ben now shows up to work with pride, gives it his all every single day, and has become a valued part of both our team and the client site he now looks after.

A Great Culture Is Good for Humans and for Business

The bottom line is that it costs less to keep great people than it does to replace them. Engaged employees are more productive. Happy teams mean fewer sick days, better performance, and stronger client relationships. And the reputation of being a great place to work attracts good people, and keeps them.

If you’re wondering how to build a great culture, or how to improve the one you’ve already got, start with a conversation.

Start by asking yourself (and your team):

  • Do people feel heard?

  • Are we recognising effort in the right ways?

  • When’s the last time we checked in properly?

  • Could we offer more flexibility?

  • Are we showing up for people the way we say we do?

Your people are your greatest asset, and the culture you build around them ripples into every part of your business. And who knows — three or even thirty years from now, you might be lucky enough to work alongside people who’ve been with you every step of the way.