One of the most frequent complaints that employers, recruiters, and talent scouts have is the decrease in commitment on the part of people that they want to hire, or that they do hire. When trying to fill a vacancy, employers and recruiters have started to notice that there are many candidates who don't show up for appointments. Of those selected who do receive a job offer and accept it, more and more do not get to work on their first day. Furthermore, there is a large majority who leave their jobs without giving further explanations, without showing their faces or providing a simple message, even in the midst of economic uncertainty.

The problem is growing and the intention of organisations to affirm employee retention becomes a nodal point of operations. While salaries, compensation, and benefits are an important part of retaining talent, the source of a lasting commitment to an organisation is often something deeper.

Loyalty is a virtue that must be cultivated, nurtured, and grown. It is not born by spontaneous generation. Those of us who are mentors know that loyalty is a delicate seed that is sown and requires a lot of care. It doesn't germinate right away, it needs time and effort, plus a fertile field. It is true, not all seeds will bear fruit, not every place where they are sown is propitious. That is certainly true. The seed of loyalty is free, it's not something you can buy. There is no way to go to the market to restock. There is no payment. It's a deep connection that comes if one feels valued and supported. When one feels supported, the seed germinates, takes root, and bears fruit. This virtue is rooted in human connection and is priceless.

Of course, loyalty is a two-way street. To be able to sow it and make it germinate, in addition to time, one need to listen. It seems obvious and it's not so obvious. Being in full presence in front of someone is one of the hardest things we can ask for, and it should be easy. It is very common to see how the members of work teams are jumping between the screens of their computer and that of their phone, from one social network to another, from an email to a message, from one pending to another. Of course, this undermines all kinds of relationships, whether personal or work-related. Loyalty is reciprocal, so if someone doesn't listen, the other won't listen. If someone doesn't value the other person enough not to pay attention to them, they will be rewarded by being ignored.

Evidently, this type of mechanical relationship erodes any kind of activity and perverts every kind of commitment. This recent wave of attrition in employee loyalty has less to do with economics and more to do with labor relations. More specifically, with the lack of a direct relationships between peers, bosses, and subordinates. Impersonal relationships, feelings of remoteness, not seeing people's faces, and various factors that come with estrangement, that effect of banishment and uprooting that occurs when there is no personal contact, have a devastating effect on the sense of belonging. When you lack appreciation for your leaders and don't have attentive and trustworthy colleagues, loyalty wanes.

If we feel that our working relationships are merely transactional, loyalty does not germinate. Instead, when leaders stop being bosses and build more meaningful relationships in organisations and inspire loyalty, the situation changes. The key word is humanity. In a word: commitment. But it doesn't come automatically, it must be cultivated.

Humane leadership is an emotional response to another person that involves an authentic desire to help. It is related to empathy, but it goes beyond that. Empathy is the element that helps us identify what the other person is feeling and helps us to understand it. Leadership with humanity is greater than empathy, it adds one more element: action. When a member of our work team is going through a difficult time, being there for them, extending a hand, listening, giving help is something that is not forgotten and deepens relationships.

This human leadership cannot remain a good intention: it must be a measurable, verifiable, and observable action. It's a soft skill that impacts our bottom line. Dr. Emma Sepälä, chair of the department of women;s leadership at Yale University, says that showing more humanity can lead to glorious effects, such as more engaged teams showing less burnout. That is, that human element can have powerful beneficial effects not only for the receiver, but also for the giver. These benefits can be achieved across industries and in various aspects of our lives.

According to Sepälä, humane treatment has wide-ranging effects: it reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease while also reducing the risk of high blood pressure. Humane treatment, i.e., a work environment with kindness and friendliness, can also help us maintain vitality and cognitive function as we age. Focusing on deepening human relationships and selflessly giving to others is associated with happiness, well-being, resilience, and resistance to burnout, fewer symptoms of depression, and better relationships. Yes, but how does this relate to leadership and organisational success?

At this point we might be thinking, "What a good way to put success on the stock market!" Not so fast. Motives and sincerity do matter. If you show kindness or compassion towards others for strategic or selfish reasons, it will show. It's not about being conventional, and if so, it's best to forget about that. You have to be genuinely kind, generous, not help others in a convincing way or in a forced way. That's not how it works.

Starting small, being grateful, listening, paying attention, these are all vital components of effective leadership. Better decisions are made, a better work environment is fertilised, elements are added for a better emotional environment, and this is all reflected in increased productivity, effectiveness, and profit margins. Those are the benefits of loyalty, and that's why leadership with humanity is a good path to success. Compassion is a vital component of effective leadership that creates a culture of understanding and empathy, while improving the productivity of employees and enhancing the overall atmosphere of a team at the same time.