Have you ever wondered what do employees value most in the workplace? You certainly have if you’re in the HR sector, specifically recruitment. And it is also likely you have not found a specific answer.
Clearly, we do not always have the opportunity to work in something that we like, that motivates us, and is well paid. However, that doesn’t stop us from knowing how to distinguish what we like from what we don’t like when we assess the company we work for. We do like a lot of things. Or, at least, we liked them in our previous job and we would love to get them back.
There are hundreds of positive aspects that an organization’s employees can highlight. However, here are the 8 aspects we’ve narrowed down when asking what do employees value most in the workplace and what they like about the place where they work. You will surely be able to relate to more than one of them.
What do employees value most in the workplace?
1. Enjoy a good work environment
A positive work environment in the workplace is essential for good work. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is one of the factors that always appears on the list of elements when considering what do employees value most in the workplace. This is important both when working face-to-face in the office and when working from home and interactions are more distant.
It doesn’t matter how interesting, important or enjoyable the task is: if interpersonal relationships don’t work, workers feel bad, are in conflict with each other, and find it more difficult to cooperate. Of course, their performance will also never be as good as if the atmosphere, i.e. the “emotional environment” in the company, were positive.
2. Be taken into account as an employee
When companies structure their social benefits policy, also known as “emotional salary”, they do not do it in any old way. On the contrary, they include elements in that incentive program that make a worker feel that they are not just a mere workforce, but that they are taken into account.
In fact, when asked what do employees value most about the companies they work for, it is to be considered in a personalized way and not as a number. In other words, they feel that they are involved in decision-making processes, that they are given responsibilities based on trust, that their achievements are rewarded and that, in short, they are treated well.
3. Ability to adapt to the worker’s needs
In addition to getting positive reinforcement and being treated with proximity and trust, people like to know that their jobs are not like a prison. Far from that, most workers attach great importance to the company’s ability to adapt to their needs, with flexibility and generosity, always within a framework of reciprocity in which the worker also adapts to the company’s needs to the best of their ability.
The classic examples of this adaptation are the possibility of making adjustments in the timetable or in the healthy approach to working from home according to continuous daily needs or those that appear suddenly, in a punctual way.
4. Have a good salary
One of the classics that cannot be missed when asking what do employees value most in the workplace is, naturally, their salary. Beyond the minimum that we can all consider as essential to living, a good salary is characterized by how well it is adjusted to the task performed and the responsibilities the worker has.
Normally people are realistic and know what the salary range is within their category and sector. That is precisely why they know how to recognize when a company pays its employees well, or even very well, and include this characteristic among those most highly valued in this context.
5. Have a good manager
In a previous paragraph, we talked about the importance of creating a good work environment by building positive relationships. One of these relationships, in fact, one of the most important, is the relationship that managers and their employees have with each other.
A good boss is a person who does not make serious mistakes if they aspire to lead a team, not only in terms of tasks but also in terms of relationships and affections, through their good leadership example and also their personal charisma.
Employees do not usually have the possibility of choosing who will lead or coordinate them in a given task, nor can they influence this when they do their interview in the middle of a selection process. However, they all positively highlight the fact of having a “good manager” when asking what do employees value most.
6. To work towards something meaningful
Earlier we mentioned the importance of salary and also the value of relationships. Another element that is crucial to a fulfilling work experience is the task. It is not just a question of whether what we do is more or less easy or pleasant, but whether it is important to us or to others.
Working on a project that goes beyond the purely utilitarian is motivating for many people, even in those situations where pay or other conditions falter significantly.
Taking it a bit to the extreme, it is those situations in which someone says: “I would have done it for free” or “I should have paid for it myself”. It is especially when we feel that what we are doing moves us and generates a really important good for many people.
7. Offer a good service or a quality product
Even if the task doesn’t consist of anything very momentous, many people simply like the feeling that they work at a place that does things right and takes their job seriously. It doesn’t matter if what they do isn’t a matter of life and death by any measure.
It’s about the love of things done well, regardless of how much they cost, who is going to buy them, or how relevant they will be. That’s why many workers find it demoralizing to feel that they work for a company that is chaotic, sloppy, or doesn’t care about its customers but only tries to take advantage of them.
8. Values that shape the company
No company is exempt from having a company culture. Within this frame of reference in which everything takes place, we include the values upon which the actions that are carried out are based.
Although companies that belong to really different sectors may share certain values, from the inside the workers have a good sense of what the prevailing principles are and their consistency with the task and the treatment given to staff. In other words, not all jobs are structured around the same values. That’s why people like to work in companies that not only have values that are in line with their own but that can be embraced by a large number of people.
Even if you agree with these 8 points we just talked about, chances are that you have not been able to relate to all of them in your current reality as a worker. It doesn’t matter: perfect jobs don’t exist, it’s not easy to translate the question of what do employees value most in the workplace into reality.
Assessing the work environment
Once you know what employees commonly look for in a company, you will be able to assess whether your company has the requirements described above. To do this, we have developed a simple exercise that will allow you to assess whether you currently have everything you need in the company, considering the answers to the following statements:
Statements: | YES | NO |
I feel comfortable and happy in my working environment. | ||
Relations with my colleagues are positive and collaborative. | ||
The company’s culture promotes inclusion and mutual respect. | ||
My opinions and contributions are valued in the team. | ||
The company recognises and celebrates my achievements and efforts. | ||
I am given opportunities to grow and develop professionally. | ||
The company conducts surveys or sessions to collect feedback from employees. | ||
Changes are implemented based on employee suggestions. | ||
There is an effective channel for expressing concerns and receiving answers. | ||
The remuneration I receive is fair and competitive in the market. | ||
Additional benefits are provided which I value, such as health insurance and bonuses. | ||
My boss provides me with effective support and guidance. | ||
My manager demonstrates leadership and problem-solving skills. They communicate clearly and set realistic expectations. | ||
The company’s mission and values are aligned with my own beliefs. | ||
I am proud to work for a company that shares my ethical values. | ||
I believe in the quality of the product/service the company offers. | ||
The company has a positive reputation in the market. | ||
Social responsibility and community engagement are encouraged. | ||
Leaders and employees reflect the company’s core values. |
By comparing the business reality with the statements described above,you will be able to assess your current employment situation in more detail. With these answers, you will be able to determine whether the company meets your needs and expectations – or not – based on these eight key aspects.
Now, if you have read these statements and none of them have come to your mind when you think about your company, chances are that your mood, motivation and sense of personal fulfilment are affected a little bit. If that’s the case, you may want to examine what’s going on, how it’s affecting you and what room for manoeuvre you have to deal with it.
Moreover, you are likely a manager or HR manager in your company. That is why it is very important that you take into account these 8 points because they can make the difference between a reasonably satisfied and efficient workforce and a workforce where performance is flawed without the causes being identified.
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