5 basic needs of employees businesses cannot afford to ignore

Every company needs good employees to run the business, deliver products and services to its customers and bring value to shareholders. Every employee, in turn, seeks a good employer to meet their personal and professional needs including monetary compensation, benefits and perks. While it is safe to say that an employer and an employee need each other to make the magic work, it is in the interests of the business to attract and retain great talent to ensure their products and services are being delivered as expected and their customers are getting what they paid for and more.

So, what should companies do to retain good employees? The following are the 5 basic needs of employees that businesses must try to fulfil and it’s not about salary and benefits.  

1.     Freedom

“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” – Albert Camus

Freedom is the most basic of human desires that have shaped our history for so long. Countless wars have been fought over it; millions have died to attain it. It is natural that even in the workplace, freedom would count as one of the top needs of employees.

Freedom doesn’t mean allowing the staff to do what they want when they want or to be confused with office discipline. Rather, freedom in this context means the freedom of thought, of expression and flexibility. Everyone has hidden talents, unexplored skills and a desire to do their best, but they may not use them out of fear, embarrassment or shyness.

If a business is seen as restrictive, inflexible, or intolerant, this pushes the employee back into his or her shell, stopping them to expose and exploit these talents and skills to take the business forward.  

Businesses should have a policy, driven by the top management, to encourage freedom, flexibility and expression and to be seen as an open and encouraging employer by their employees.

2.     Recognition

When we were children, we thrived on our parents' love and recognition. A pat on the back from our teachers and elders meant the world to us. Winning a prize in school or at a sports event filled us with pride and it fuelled a desire to do better.

We haven’t changed as we have entered the world of work, except that our expectations to get recognized has been greatly diminished, though the desire still remains strong. Companies must remember that salaries and benefits alone cannot compensate and encourage good talent.

Roger E. Herman who co-wrote the book "How to Become an Employer of Choice" found that 75% of people left their jobs in 2019 due to bosses who didn’t care about their inputs. Companies must recognize the contribution of their employees and give them proper acknowledgement. This can be instituted by a clearly laid out corporate Rewards & Recognition program which is company-wide but also can be done by each line-manager on a smaller basis towards their own staff. I’ve seen in my own corporate life, how a pat on the back and an email saying “well done” is invaluable. 

3.     Relationship

“Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.” - Starbucks - Value Statement

A workplace has to be more than just a transaction of services between an employee and an employer. Money, as we all know, is a basic need for survival, but anybody can offer money for the same services and employees can be easily enticed to leave, but genuine and warm employee relationships, on the other hand, makes a company stand out and hard to leave.

As humans, we crave attachment to entities and then try our best to sustain that attachment as long as it is mutually beneficial. Companies who treat their staff well and show genuine care about them and their families are known to attract and retain the best people, even if the monetary remuneration is not as attractive. Innovative companies now include the family into the workplace by allowing staff to bring in their kids on specific days, organise family days, appoint relationship managers from within the HR teams to spend time with employees asking about their personal and professional needs.

I visited a company recently that has ‘sleep pods’ for their employees to take a break, ‘thinking corners’ for people to spend a little time thinking, and for young mums, a lovely nursery for their infants and small children. All these ‘expenses’ are now investments into the happiness and wellbeing of the employees which has become the magnate for good talent.

4.     Self-Development & Growth

Wandering aimlessly might sound good for daydreaming, but it could be a nightmare for career planning. Every human wants to grow and prosper, and every employee wants to progress in their careers. Stagnant career growth, even at the apex, can lead to employee disengagement. Employees must be given a path they can traverse to reach a better position tomorrow, or it could be the death of ambition and innovation.

Most often, the staff are so caught up with their daily tasks and running back home to take care of their families that they don’t have time to think about their personal growth nor do they know how to get started. Here is where companies can make a difference as they have access to many resources and opportunities to guide their employees.

Providing learning opportunities, one-on-one coaching and mentoring can go a long way in providing staff opportunities for self-development and growth. However, this should not be just a tick in the box from an HR perspective, but a genuine desire to guide, grow and sustain people. 

5.     Service to others

As selfish as we humans are normally considered to be, selflessness and being of service to others brings us immense satisfaction and a sense of self-worth. We will be surprised to note how much our employees may want to help someone else.

Many studies have shown that when people give of themselves and help a fellow human being to alleviate hardship or suffering, they feel a great sense of fulfilment. We have seen many national or international catastrophes that have brought people together to work with each other to fight a common cause with great pride together and individual humility.

Companies that promote social activities that involve their employees always seem to thrive. Employees of such companies are proud of the company they serve as they are seen as of help to the common good.

Fulfilling these basic needs would be a great start to ensure employee satisfaction. As trivial as they might seem, the fancier things will prove beneficial only once the basic needs of employees are first met. 

Do you agree with the above? Do you have anything more to add? I'd love to hear your comments.