Is money the key to retention and productivity? It helps, says the Christian
Science Monitor's Marilyn Gardner, but it's not enough. Beyond pay and
benefits lie eight key factors that influence "happiness" at work-factors that
motivate workers and keep them at your organization. Here's our distillation
of Gardner's eight factors.
1. Appreciation - Praise heads the list for many workers, and it doesn't cost
the employer anything to provide it. A sincere thank you or a short note can
mean a great deal.
2. Respect - Again there is no cost and a big payback. Respect plays out in
letting people know that their work is appreciated, in treating them like
adults, and in being fair in your dealings with them.
3. Trust - Trust is the action side of respect. People need guidance, but they
need to know that their boss trusts them to be able to get a job done on
their own.
4. Individual Growth - Today's workers - especially the Gen Y group - want
training, want to take on new challenges, and want to advance based on
their new abilities. Giving a raise without increasing responsibilities could
actually backfire. As one expert says, if you give more money to an unhappy
employee, you end up with a wealthier unhappy employee.
5. Good Boss - It's the old saw: People don't leave companies, they leave
bosses. In a recent Robert Half survey, Gardner notes that 1,000 Gen Y
workers ranked "working with a manager I can respect and learn from" as
the most important aspect of their work environment.
6. Compatible Co-workers - Working with people you enjoy is also very
important, says Gardner. Spending the day-every day-with people you don't
like does not make for a productive workplace.
7. Compatible Culture - Employees want a work environment that fits their
needs. That could mean hard-driving, high paying, or it could mean high
flexibility and significant attention to work / life balance.
8. A Sense of Purpose - People want to know that they are contributing to
something worthwhile. They need to know what the organization's core
purpose is and what it is trying to achieve. And then they need to know how
their particular job fits into the whole.
One of the interesting things that Gardner discovered about employee
"happiness" is that there is a disconnect between what managers think and
what employees think about happiness at work.
Managers tend to think that salary and benefits are the main motivators,
while workers consistently respond that factors such as those mentioned
above are what's important. Successful organizations will find a good balance
to retain their best people.
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