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Are you fostering the kind of culture that keeps employees happy? Do you know what your employees really want?
You may spend a great deal of time guessing what your next move for employee engagement and retention should be. Sometimes you may think you know what your employees want, but employee engagement is a significant part of the budget so it’s best to know rather than guess.
If you want to know what your employees want, ask them!
The easiest and most straightforward way to understand your employees, what they are inspired by and what they are frustrated with – is to ask them directly.
Ask your employees questions such as:
- What is your favorite part of working here?
- What do you wish would be different?
- What are you excited about?
- What are you concerned about?
Take note of any similar themes you hear as you talk to your team. Make any recurring themes a priority to discuss and address in the next management meeting.
Understand the Research
Is your company mission and vision clearly defined, do you have strong connections to the community? A shared sense of commitment to a greater cause?
According to Forbes “Whether talking about baby boomers, Generation X, millennials or Gen Z, employees are most motivated by purpose.”
See and recognize your employees in a deeper way and set up a structure that allows for relationships and greater purpose. Forbes shared, “what makes people want to get up every day and come to work is feeling like they are part of something bigger than themselves: community, connection and a sense of purpose. Perks alone will not keep employees loyal, but purpose will.”
To retain top employees:
- Provide them both a sense of belonging by allowing them to be themselves. Employees who feel safe to be themselves will be more likely to remain loyal. It is important to have strong non-discrimination policies and encourage celebrations of all cultures and diversity including LGBTQ+ diversity.
- Provide financial safety by paying your team well and offering a strong competitive benefits package. According to a study by Watson Tower, companies cited job stress as their number one workforce risk. Insisting employees take time off and being flexible with hours for family needs are critical.
- Provide a clear path for growth and offer company-paid training such as executive communication training or accent reduction to enhance skills and work towards new goals and growth within the company.
According to the book, ENGAGEMENT MAGIC®: Five Keys for Engaging People, Leaders, and Organizations, Growth is the third key and the one that injects life into the employee engagement formula.
I get calls from so many employees that want to take the training and offer themselves the opportunity to learn a valuable skill to help with their career advancement only to be declined by their manager/company and this can potentially lead to talented employees feeling unsupported and leaving.
Companies can invest in their non-native English speakers and embrace their diversity and inclusion goals at the same time.
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