What are employees looking for to make their job one that they will not only enjoy but are willing to invest themselves in? It is well-known that when we enjoy what we are doing it makes all the difference in the world in how we do our job. But it is also a known fact that one can enjoy the work they are doing, but are not willing to take the extra step to invest themselves for the better of the actual business.
As an employer you need to be realistic knowing that you will not be able to capture each employee and turn them into a super investor in your business, but for those who would, what does it take so you don’t lose them? Here are five key elements that employees state that not only keep them at their place of employment, but satisfy their job needs. In other words when an employee has these five key factors met they are more than happy to come to work each day and give their best.
1. Purpose: People must know what they actually need to be doing at work each day and why. Understanding the end purpose fills us with drive to get there. If you worked on an assembly line making widgets, but had no idea what they were used for you would have no fulfillment. But knowing the widget you were making goes into a heart monitoring device that can save people’s lives gives what you do meaning. Make sure you understand what the purpose is of what you are doing, if you don’t already. Don’t be afraid to ask your boss why am I doing this, seeing the big picture is motivating.
2.Enhancement: People need jobs that are enriching to them. They need to be able to be creative in their job tasks or their job will be boring. When we can have a say in how we do things (to a certain extent) we become elevated and feel we are making what we do better, for us, for those we work for and serve. No cookie cutter job ever keeps employees for long, even those who work making those widgets can add creativity to what they do by the way they do it.
3. Respect: This word pretty much says it all, no one is willing to invest in a business where they are not respected as a human being. We need to be able to cultivate relationships with those we work with and respect needs to be at the center of them.
4. Knowledge: Not only knowledge of what we are doing, but knowledge about the business as a whole. People do not work well when they are kept in the dark about the companies direction. Employers who share openly about growth, goals and financial issues have more employees that buy into the business and are willing to invest for the long run with their employer.
5. Salary: Compensation while it is not the most important key to having employees who are in it for the long haul, it is one that can make employees leave. Companies that value their employees and are willing to pay them just slightly more than the average are more likely to keep those who are willing to give back. If your employees are worth the value they bring to your business, then pay them well, it will cost you way more to replace them, if you can.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
~Henry Ford
08/06/14
12/15/2021
Practical Practice Management A Division of Top Practices 
All good points.
How do we know what drives the person to want to do good work? What is the ideal job for them?
I’m a big fan of assessments both before the hire and after. The one I use with my clients is TriMetrix HD.
This neutral report gives insights to what makes the employee tick. Knowing their behaviors,motivators, personal talents and skills, and emotional intelligence helps us to put them in the right seat on the bus. It also helps the manager the best way to communication with the team member.
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Hi Steve, thank you for your comment and you are so right about not only making sure you have the right people on your bus, but that they are in the right seat. Nor the small business this may take trial and error to figure out, but once you do the bus moves so much smoother down the road. Have a great evening!
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In my opinion, organizations sharing knowledge in an effort to build dialogue are first class organizations. The right knowledge helps with focusing and aligning priorities to carry out the mission.
Thanks for sharing.
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Bryon, thank you for sharing. I am all for keeping the troops informed. This way they know if there is a battle and where to go to fight it 🙂
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Exactly. It seems as if some organizations want to keep their employees in the dark for some reason. I feel it is almost a form of oppression instead of encouraging and inspiring people to do their best.
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You are correct I have always wondered about that type of structure, what are the benefits?
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Great post Tina – these are all elements of effective leadership and genuine appreciation for the success realized when attention is paid to that which is of value to your employees. I am very cautious about assessments pre and post hire – there are quite a few variables you have to control for to ensure that such exercises are truly bias-free. What can I say – 25 years in law firms has an effect! 🙂
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Hi Mimi thank you for your input. I am very sure that your 25 years has given you an overwhelming amount of wisdom and some fantastic stories to share 🙂
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