Almost all companies have a sign on a wall stating something similar to “Our employees are our most important asset.” The wording may be slightly altered, and “asset”’ may be replaced with “resource,” but usually there is such a sign posted somewhere on the premises. Regardless of the exact wording, the intent is the same: the organization is trying to say that it values its employees and the sign is a visible indicator of that value or belief.

As well intentioned as this statement is, problems can result from it. My objections don’t include accidental or planned duplicity on the part of the employer. I understand that employees may often feel that these signs only pay lip service to the belief and that their employer really doesn’t care about them. If this lip service is happening, it’s a significant problem and can create deep misgivings in the employees, which may lead to less-than-optimal behaviors. Any employer who thinks this is happening at their company would be prudent to address this issue by taking down the sign and working on employer-employee relationships. But let’s set this situation aside. It’s not the kind of fundamental problem to which I am referring.

The core issue centers on the meaning of the statement’s content. It places employees in a class with assets. Simply put, assets and people (let’s refer to the employees as people) are quite different on several levels.

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