What employees really want.
COVID-19 has put our world upside down. Organizations which never thought remote work could be possible now realize that employees are happier and more productive with flexibility and empowerment. Now is the time to press the reset button and be more employee-centric to really understand what employees want, what drives & motivates them.
Purpose
Employees now look for win-win work relationships and for organizations that care about them as human beings, not just workers. They want work experiences that are purposeful, fulfilling, aligned with their values and their pursuit of both personal and professional goals.
Employee who feel a strong sense of purpose when working are more…
And employees who feel a sense of purpose feel less stress and fatigue
Reciprocity
Employees ask for a sense of reciprocity, where employers expect them to bring their best selves to work, and employees expect their employer to support them bringing their best selves to work.
Overall Well-being
As the lines between personal and professional lives are blurred, there is a need for an expanded and holistic approach that augments traditional employee support – supporting them physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally – at work AND outside of work.
Employees are attracted to employers who can help them fulfill these needs and manage this challenging work-life integration. They expect organizations to provide a holistic approach to support their lives at and outside of work, beyond a paycheck and traditional benefits.
The Five Dimensions of employee well-being
The connection between well-being and the employee experience
Source: Optum
Appreciation
A 2019 study by Work Human shows that workers are looking for meaningful work at organizations where they feel recognized and appreciated. It’s more important to them than pay, free food or fun team activities. Even further, recent and frequent recognition is associated with higher gratitude levels and lower stress levels.
When employees are not finding what they crave for, here is what happens…
Many employees are present at work… but not accounted for. As Joe Queenan, journalist and commentator, says “presenteeism is a situation that arises when distracted employees drag their forlorn carcasses into the office and waste everyone else’s time by hacking their way through their working day on an empty tank.”
In other words, employees are there physically, but they’re not there mentally. And the impact of your business is costly, very costly.
The Cost of Absenteeism and Presenteeism
Per employee per year:
*4 days lost of absenteeism | *57.5 days of presenteeism.
- Sr. Director, Client and Community Experience (Executive Team)
- Founder of the Employee Experience Summit (a nationwide city-tour of EX conferences)
- Founder of the Employee Experience Podcast
- Author of the first B2E (business to employee) Branding Manifesto
