What do employees really want?

Last week at our Harmony People Network HR Conference, one of our keynote speakers, Anja van Beek, spoke on The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting in the workplace and I was astonished at the statistics that up to 63% of employees in the workplace are disengaged and up to 75% are actively seeking a new job. Key reasons for disengaging from work (or quiet quitting as it is labeled), relate to burnout, lack of recognition, poor management, unclear career paths, work-life balance, personal goals, job satisfaction, work culture, and a shift in work values.

Now, this article is not about how one can strategize to implement better retention strategies, but rather an effort to explore "Why we are not happy at work" and the risk it exposes the employer to. The needs of a business, generally, are typically straightforward. Most companies, if not all, need people to ensure the effective running of the business, to keep its clients happy, and for the business to make money.

Now, I'm no psychologist, but with almost 20 years in Labour Relations (or "IR" as some prefer to call it), I have seen my fair share of employment practices that do not make sense, especially in the way that most employers approach the topic of employee relations. Now, I get it, both parties of the labour spectrum have their interests, Capital on the one and Labour on the other. I have no issues there. What does not make sense though (and yes, I am in this article referring to a business approach to employment relations), is the detailed and strategic effort that goes into planning, marketing, financial well-being, strategy, logistics, operations, and client support, but how disinvested many businesses are in the concept of employee relations.

We all know that a company motor vehicle must be maintained. It must get new tires, oil, a service, and even a wash & clean from time to time. Any person will tell you that merely adding fuel to a car, in itself, will not guarantee optimum performance. All aspects of maintenance need to be adhered to in order to ensure optimum performance. Yet, when it comes to our human resource (or asset… bear with me) there is a view that all you need to do is pay a salary and walla!

Many of us business owners (and here is a lesson I keep on having to remind myself) are simply not mindful of the complexity of the resource that walks through our doors daily.? Yes, our employees! For an employer, not necessarily to retain employees (maybe a conversation for another day), but to get the best out of your employment relationship....one that... benefits the business and employee alike, you must consider the “maintenance requirements” of your employees.

As Anja continued through her presentation, my mind wandered, ?and I thought about all the effort the government makes in creating jobs, yet, once we have the job, we are simply not happy with it, or at least 63% of us aren’t.

According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, humans have five basic needs, such as Physiological Needs (water and food), Safety Needs, Love, and Belonging Needs, Esteem Needs, and Self - Actualization Needs. Interestingly, in our modern world, to have one's basic needs fulfilled, you need money. Yes, it seemingly all comes down to your job/career or what you do for a living. It is within this context that the employees of a business walk through those doors every single day.

A very good friend of mine, also a business owner, called me recently to ask advice regarding one of his employees. He owns a fairly small business, so any issue with any employee becomes a daunting matter. He desperately wanted to get rid of this employee, and to his surprise and relief, the employee resigned. He welcomed the resignation. It wasn’t long before my friend realized how difficult it is to find a qualified replacement, and for the employee to realize how difficult it is to find another job. So he approached my friend to withdraw his resignation. Imagine that!

My friend told me that in general, this employee is great at his job, but there are mistakes he keeps on making and is simply not learning and correcting himself. It does not have a huge impact on the business, but the constant micro-management has become very frustrating. This is where I gave him this very lesson and asked him if he has ever considered that the problem might be him and not the employee. Now, my friend is a decent man, friendly, does not scream, shout, or use vulgar language, just decent. This is his Achilles heel, however, the mindset of: "I'm a kind employer that pays on time, and everyone should be happy and perform amicably.”

Far from it! I asked him if he makes the same effort to understand human needs and interests, just as he would for the other assets in his company. On a strategic level, does this even appear on the radar? If he did, he may realize that his staff may need further development in certain aspects of their jobs. Maybe the employee does not know how to perform certain elements of his job. Maybe the employee has personal difficulties he needs to overcome. One of the key elements for disengagement by employees is loneliness. Maybe there is a conflict between him and other employees. Maybe he is not happy with his remuneration, maybe he is experiencing trauma. Has he considered employing an Industrial Psychologist who can effectively manage employee wellbeing?

Of course, many SMMEs do not have the resources to focus on employee wellbeing to such an extent, and yes, you may argue that 'pay will never be enough' and ' his problems' are not my problems. The reality, however is, it is your problem! Employees bring all of that to work when they walk through the door. Is it our responsibility as employers to fix all those problems? Not at all, but we should be mindful of this and incorporate employee wellness into our business strategy no matter how big or small our business.

Among the hierarchy of so many needs, I have identified four workplace needs most employees deem necessary to experience satisfaction with his or her job/career:

1. Mental Stimulation. Each employee wants to be engaged in a job or profession that is mentally stimulating and challenging. Boredom and loneliness often set in and motivate employees to quit.

2. Financial Needs: We all have a basic need to earn a decent wage that allows us to make a living. Yes, we probably all want to be rich! We all want to live a life of comfort and be able to provide for our families. Can an employer provide for all our financial needs to the satisfaction of our fantasies? Probably not, but that's not the point. The point is, to have a better understanding of the needs of your employees. This is what we all crave!

3. Dignity and Respect. Having an attitude of "We swear at employees, that's how we do it here, live with it!" does not work. The reality is that humans do not naturally engage and relate with people they do not trust. Unfortunately, we do not have much choice in modern-day society. It helps a lot if an employer puts some effort into creating a fair workplace, where people treated with dignity and respect, and yes, managers that manage in a way that makes sense!

4. Personal Development. Employees do not want to leave an employer with the same skills they entered the employment relationship. People want to learn new skills and be educated on how to do their jobs better.

I remember my years at an Engen Petrol Station, Nu Metro Cinemas, and Pick n Pay. As a cashier, storeman, supervisor, and senior manager, I learned, retail, people management, systems, stock take, and how to read and draft financial statements, I know how a credit card machine works and I know how it feels to almost get fired! These are lessons I treasure in my career in Labour Relations, and I am forever grateful to each one of these employers for the investment they made in my personal development.

So, having written this article, I see the shortcomings in my own business and know that I have work to do! How about you? What can you do?

Tobie Nel