Talented, highly motivated, skilled employees are hard to find. After a rigorous interview process to find the best hires, you want to retain your top talent. You also want to keep your staff motivated and productive. To do this, you must understand your employees’ needs and expectations in the workplace. When you satisfy your workers’ needs, they’re more likely to be engaged, productive, healthy and loyal. Failing to meet the needs of your workers results in low morale and high turnover.
What are the benefits of meeting employee needs and wants?
Meeting your workers’ needs results in:
- Happy, motivated staff
- Higher employee retention
- A healthier workforce that misses fewer days of work
- Increased productivity
- Better customer service
- Positive employee reviews and word of mouth about the company
What are the main reasons employees leave their jobs?
There are some common reasons that workers leave a position and seek new employment including:
- Boredom
- Inadequate salary and benefits
- Limited opportunities for advancement
- Lack of recognition
- Unhappy with management and the way they manage
What are the needs of employees?
To improve productivity and motivation in your organization, consider the following employee needs and how to provide them:
- Fair pay: It’s important that your staff feel they are receiving fair compensation for work done. Assess salaries/wages annually. Make sure they’re competitive and reasonable. Consider giving bonuses and rewards for exceptional performance.
- Health and wellbeing: A healthy employee is able to focus on their duties and will miss fewer days for health reasons. Provide your workers with competitive benefits packages that include health, dental and vision insurance. Create workplace wellness programs (fitness and/or weight loss challenges, diet and/or exercise seminars, yoga/meditation sessions, healthy snacks, standing desks, discounted gym memberships).
- Job security: If workers feel their jobs are at risk, they look for new employment. Communicate with your employees about the company’s status. Discourage gossip and speculation by welcoming questions. Keep workers informed regarding your opinion of their performance.
- Career advancement: The potential for career growth is motivating. Support and invest in your employees’ growth (classes, training, memberships to industry associations, conferences, seminars, leadership courses). Meet with employees to discuss career goals.
- Feedback: Workers need validation and guidance regarding performance and improvement. Give honest feedback. Encourage staff to share ideas/suggestions without fear of judgment. Listen to and communicate with your team.
- Belonging: Everyone wishes to belong to a supportive, cohesive team. This meets a social need and makes employees feel valued. Take a personal interest in your staff. Greet them. Ask them questions about their lives, families, and interests. Encourage collaboration in the workplace. Provide team-building exercises and group outings (lunch, coffee).
- Work-life balance: A balance between career and personal life helps employees enjoy their position and reduces stress. Offer flexible work hours. Allow remote work or telecommuting. Encourage employees to take breaks/vacations. Allow staff to take time for appointments without penalty or judgment.
- Recognition: Employees who are recognized and acknowledged for their work feel valued, appreciated and motivated. Give your staff compliments on their contributions. Thank them. Recognize them through company emails, in meetings and/or with awards.
- Significance: Everyone needs to feel that their job has meaning and purpose. Let your staff know that their hard work is beneficial for the company. Be specific with your praise and appreciation. Ask them if they have ideas on how to improve the process or make tasks easier.
- Safety: Employees need to feel that they can provide feedback without fear of retaliation or negative consequences. Create a culture of trust by nurturing a psychologically and emotionally safe work environment.
- Leadership: Strong, supportive leadership helps employees understand expectations. Be confident. Communicate clearly and frequently. Set an example for professional behaviour and work ethic. Listen to your staff. Take responsibility for miscommunications and/or mistakes. Become an authority in your industry. Maintain a positive attitude.
- Responsibility: Workers want to feel empowered and trusted. Give them responsibilities and independence. Allow them to make decisions and complete tasks on their own.
- Goals: Personal and professional goals are motivating for staff. They help workers meet deadlines and quotas. Clearly communicate your company’s mission and vision. Provide staff with immediate, measurable goals (increasing sales, resolving service requests, completing a course, etc.). Give each worker a clear opportunity to accomplish both short and long-term goals.
It’s essential to be aware of and have systems in place that facilitate the needs of your employees. This will assist you in retaining quality staff and take your company to the next level. By providing your employees with the right tools, resources, and support, your organization can achieve success.
Need expert advice and assistance finding the best employee for your position? Call the Calgary recruiting agency, Equation Staffing Solutions at 1-844-367-9618. We are a reliable, innovative, collaborative agency here to support you in your search for a position and/or personnel. Our experience will assist you! Contact us today.