The office is probably the second most important place in the life of an individual. This is because he/she stays there for a longer period of time. Employees have no choice but to learn to adapt to the environment. It’s important for management to ensure the comfortability and well being of their staff due to the fact that an uncomfortable work environment can breed unhealthy work practices.
Employees are always discussing what their ideal workplace should look like, and one thing common in all the surveys that address people’s operation practices is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Although this theory was birthed a long time ago, its relevance cannot be overemphasized. The hierarchy speaks about various expectations employees expect from employers. According to Maslow, employees have five needs namely, Physiological needs, Safety needs, Belongingness and love needs, Esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Without a doubt, an employee expects at least some of these needs to be fulfilled by the employer.
Surprisingly, some employees expect that all of these needs must be met by the employer. It’s crucial for employers to have an idea of what their employees require from them as rewards for the tasks they have executed on the company’s behalf.
The following elements are considered very important in every organization.
1. Fair Reward and Recognition
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The very first is definitely a fair reward and recognition of the tasks executed. Interestingly, employees might decide to accept a lesser amount than is due to them at the beginning of the contract for many reasons known to them. However, they expect that as time rolls by and the quality of their input is subject to assessment, the reward due to them must be upscaled to its current worth. The problem here is that management sometimes slack in this aspect because they are also seeking to cut costs.
Employees who feel underappreciated are quick to exit to companies that know their worth and this has a negative effect on the organization as they now have to begin another recruitment process and engage in training the newly hired staff.
2. Open Door Policy and Inclusion
Having an open-door policy is regarded as one of the greatest strengths any organization can possess in its arsenal. Members of staff should be able to freely communicate issues to their bosses without fear and trembling. Inputs from subordinates should be required at intervals as this challenge and prepare them for future roles. Additionally, it makes them feel included in organizational roles.
3. Organizational Culture
Creating a culture synonymous with a given organization is very key. This does not mean handing employees workplace uniforms as only medical consultants; Doctorate holders and lawyers are expected to have regalias. Organizational culture basically means creating an atmosphere that the organization is known for. Simply put, the acceptable behavior within a given company.
4. Job Security
This perhaps is one of the most important things to employees. Oftentimes, employees need the assurance that their jobs are secured and this definitely explains, why people would easily change jobs once they perceive that there is a threat to their jobs. A secured job has a spiral effect on different factors such as the ability to fend for oneself and dependents, the opportunity to plan one’s finances, and meet other financial obligations. While it is desirable for every company to make its employees happy and have them keep their jobs for as long as they want, circumstances such as dwindling income, changing business needs, and other factors make this almost impossible.
5. Feedback
Some companies do not take feedback seriously but it is one of the most important elements employees look out for in a workplace. In some organizations, feedback is usually a one-way communication i.e. only management gives feedback to employees. Feedback however should be two-way communication. Management gives feedback to employees and employees are also allowed to give feedback to management through periodic anonymous surveys. This creates a sense of ownership within the employees and shows that their opinions matter within the organization.
6. Trust and Care
Organizations ought to trust and care for their employees and this is revealed through actions and not words. Care should be given to all staff as this would encourage them to even put in more effort when executing tasks. Organizations should also throw in additional bonuses in a good year. Furthermore, health care insurance is one benefit that shows employers are truly concerned about the employee’s health.
Although the main purpose for establishing an organization is to make profits. Organizations should pay utmost attention to their staff as they are the ones responsible for the actualization of that aim.
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