How do I love thee? Oh let me count the ways…We've all heard about the lavish gifts some companies bestow upon their employees as benefits of employment.
For example:
- At Facebook, employees can take home a free dinner or, if working late, their families can come in to eat with them, leading to a regular sight of children in the campus cafeteria.
- Elwood staffing, a temporary staffing services company in Columbus, IN, gives employees a Rolex watch after 5 years of service and a European vacation after 10 years.
- And, at Google, the company has expanded its benefits beyond free meals, dry cleaning and other services on campus to offering $500 to new parents.
We may think that as managers or business owners of our "regular" companies, this is simply caviar wishes and champagne dreams. While these companies offer great bennies, it is simply the icing on the cake of employee experience. They know that they must first fulfill all of their employee’s basic needs and wants or the lavish gifts will never be enough. In other words, you can’t buy love.
Studies show that while pay and benefits are a major determinate of employee satisfaction, they are not the top. How can you show your employees how much you care? How can you reward them? How can you ensure they are happy at work, engaged with your organization and therefore giving their all while being fulfilled at the same time? If your organization doesn’t have a Rolls Royce budget, all is not lost.
Recent research by Mindflash shows the disconnect between what employers THINK employees want and what employees REALLY want. The survey was taken my both employers and employees. Here is what employers THINK employees want, in order of priority:
- Good wages
- Job security
- Promotion/growth opportunities
- Good working conditions
- Interesting work
- Personal loyalty to workers
- Tactful discipline
- Full appreciation for work done
- Sympathetic help with personal problems
- Feeling “in” on things
Here is what employees REALLY want:
- Full appreciation for work done
- Feeling “in” on things
- Sympathetic help on personal problems
- Job security
- Good wages
- Interesting work
- Promotion/growth opportunities
- Personal loyalty to workers
- Good working conditions
- Tactful discipline
Imagine how this disconnect affects relations, productivity and morale? If employers only knew this information and put their energy into better communication, leadership and learning and development (sound familiar? It's our eC2® philosophy!), they could be much more efficient-and have more loyal, satisfied and engaged employees.
How do I love thee? I will listen to you, offer you feedback and inform you…It is true, you can’t buy love but you can certainly cultivate it!
Get started now! Find out how your employees really feel about their job and your organization: