Article published by Entrepreneur. Written by Andre Lavoie. Reinterpreted by Angela Hydes.
As was mentioned in an article yesterday, employees are no longer just motivated by monetary gain. The work landscape is changing, and it is accompanied by new needs, desires and areas of importance. Employee development is no longer just about career development, it is also about goal alignment, non-monetary offerings, and opportunities to prove their capabilities.
Approximately 25% of employees would be more satisfied at work if they were given more opportunities to do what they do best, according to a 2013 study by BlessingWhite. Approximately 5% directly said career development opportunities and training would increase their satisfaction.
According to Entrepreneur magazine, here are 4 things that today’s most satisfied employees are demanding from their employers.
1. Place more importance on non-monetary motivators.
Beyond money, consider career growth and even professional inter-office relationships. These are big factors and motivators of satisfaction and engagement. The BlessingWhite study found that 25% of employees believe they would be more satisfied with their job if they had a better relationship with their manager. Consider this – employees want to learn and grow with people they respect and who respect them in return.
2. Let employees do – and improve upon – what they do best.
No matter what their role or level might be, everyone wants to feel like their strengths are appreciated, effectively utilized and built upon. Companies are getting smart about this – a 2014 Bersin by Deloitte study found that, in the past year alone, corporate budgets for training and development has risen by 15 percent.
3. Align employee goals and preferences for a clearer vision.
Throughout the company, every employee needs to not only have a solid understanding of their personal goals and work preferences, but also of their colleagues’ roles and goals.
When working closely together, employees will naturally learn the work preferences of their team. However, it’s important that leadership learns those and respects them as well. Additionally, openly communicate how each role plays into the bigger picture of organizational goals to motivate employees to work harder and more efficiently in their position. This will encourage employees to assist co-workers who may be struggling since they understand how it plays into the big picture.
4. Let serendipitous learning happen.
Research has shown that nearly 70% of learning happens informally while on the job. Whether it’s from watching others, utilizing various resources or trial by error, this type of serendipitous learning is crucial to employee development.
Encourage this type of development by making employee schedules less rigid and more flexible. Allow time for them to learn their own way to observe the processes that will benefit them. It may be necessary to provide some amount of structure, but keep in mind that employees are more satisfied when they have flexibility on their job conditions.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
While monetary gain still plays a key factor in employee satisfaction, it is no longer the only variable. Leaders have far more to consider now, with marketplace competition on the rise and an employee base that can now so easily jump ship. Consider carefully – why would employees work for your company? What kind of working conditions are your competitors offering? Why would employees stay working for you, and not move somewhere else?
If answering the questions above is difficult, you might want to take a cold, hard look at your company’s situation and start considering your options.
Looking to recruit or for a career change? Do not hesitate to reach out to us either on talgroup.net, in person at our head office, or by phone (+1 416 599 1825). One of our recruiting experts would be happy to begin planning your recruitment campaign for you.
TAL Group, Inc. 