In recent years, employers have noticed drastic changes in the needs of their employees. As competition in the market grows, it is increasingly important to learn what makes your best employee happy and how you can keep him in your company.
Happy worker
Security and a high salary will certainly always be among the main priorities, but as a motive to stay in a job, employees expect some other material and intangible benefits.
If you were wondering what you need to do to preserve top talent, take a look at the list of things we made from the questionnaires we asked the employees.
Flexibility
We came to the eight-hour working time by dividing the day into equal units – 8 hours of work, 8 hours of free time, and 8 hours of sleep. Today, as a consequence, we see fatigue and a kind of saturation that makes us wonder – was this division smart?
Sweden has already gone through the test phase of a six-hour working day, and positive results have been shown in several fields: reduced number of sick days, more rest time, and reduced stress, but only in some jobs. However, many people claim that it takes time to get used to such a change.
As opinions are divided, employees around the world seem to value flexible working hours – when they are not under pressure to have to show up for work at a specific time or to stay up late in the afternoon, limited by a lunch break. Hardworking workers will never abuse this luxury – even though they are sometimes allowed not to show up for work when they are overworked, when they have to finish some private obligations, or when they just want to get out earlier and continue from the comfort of their home. Research has shown that flexibility can easily result in increased productivity.
Defined goals
Today’s society is much more focused on profit than some higher goal for which they provide certain services. As a result, employees are given work assignments with a deadline for their execution, without any special motivation to work.
As money is no longer the biggest driving factor for many, they point out that they are willing to reduce the number of breaks, come earlier or stay longer in the office if they are clearly shown what the purpose of their job is. What an employer can do is:
- defines the mission and vision of the company
- show respect for the work they do
- clearly point out how the work of the employee has contributed to the company
- Share with employees the success story of clients
- Attention and a good relationship with superiors
- The gap that once existed between employees and superiors is getting smaller and smaller, and it is this new kind of intimacy that is developing that affects the commitment to work and work tasks.
Many appreciate the more relaxed atmosphere that arises when a professional-friendly relationship is built between management and employees, but also the employer will have the opportunity to get to know the people who work for him a little better and see how he can honor them from time to time.
A raise and a few extra days off are always a nice surprise, but an original gesture can surprise much more. For the best effect, it is important to meet someone, and here are some ideas to see in which direction to think:
- If you notice that your employee goes to the gym regularly or does a certain sport, you can offer them a FitPass card.
- If you hear that they want to learn a new language, pay for a course at one of the foreign language schools.
- If you know that he drinks a certain type of coffee every day, make sure he always has it in the kitchen, which also applies to the favorite snack that you notice they often have on their table.
- Treat them to some little thing you think they’d love to use, like a quality headset, or a slightly better quality mouse and keyboard – whatever you think is appropriate for that person.
- If you notice that they would like a day to relax, you can pay for a spa treatment in a luxury hotel.
- Defined position and path of progress in the company
Rarely does a modern worker agree to monotony and most strive for constant progress, both when it comes to the position they are in and when it comes to the amount of knowledge they want to enrich? Therefore, it is important to show that there is a detailed plan for each of them – a clearly defined position in which they are currently, the path they can take and where they can go in the company, and the list should include knowledge and skills they will acquire on that road.
Communication
In order for all of the above to be possible, it is necessary to have good communication with all employees. Only in this way can the employer get well acquainted with the wishes and possible problems of the employees and see the ways in which he can meet them.
If you are not sure how to approach them during the working day and get acquainted with their wishes and attitudes, try one of the following ways:
Take an HR job and hold one-on-one meetings once a month or once every few months where you could talk about the job and find out how they feel about the amount and type of tasks they have. If you try to create a pleasant and friendly atmosphere, they will soon start to open up and talk more relaxed.
Spontaneously join them on breaks. Organize lunchtime to match theirs, or join them on a break when they go out for coffee outdoors, light a modern cigarette, or go out to stretch their legs.
Organize a team-building of a few hours or days. Whether the day is filled with activity or you decide to relax in a spa or luxury restaurant, you are sure to connect on a higher level.
Good communication is the foundation of any relationship, both in private life and in business. For successful communication and achieving a long-term partnership with employees, it is important to show interest in the little things that are important to them. As a result, people create an emotional connection with the company in which they work and do not think about changing jobs, but with pleasure perform work tasks that are for the purpose of a higher goal that is set by joint efforts.