Why Understanding Employee Needs is the Real Key to Employee Motivation and Loyalty

Gone are the days when one-size-fits-all was a thing (well, it never really worked, did it?). If you want to keep your employees motivated, engaged, and happy, you need to look beyond standard benefits and paychecks. Instead, it’s about understanding what truly matters to them – and spoiler alert – it’s not the same for everyone!

Let’s dive into why meeting employee needs (and being flexible!) is essential and what that might look like.

?? Different People, Different Needs

Take this for example:

• The ambitious single guy: He’s hustling hard, focused on career growth, building wealth, and maybe buying his first apartment. For him, overtime and extra projects are not a burden – they’re opportunities.
• The devoted family man: He’s balancing the need to provide for his family while also wanting to be present for his wife and kids. Overtime means more money, but it also means missing bedtime stories and weekend playdates. He needs a work structure that allows him to succeed and provide for his family without sacrificing family time.
• The married woman working for joy: Her paycheck isn’t essential for her family’s wellbeing, as her husband is the primary provider. She’s here for personal fulfilment and joy. She likes to keep things light and manageable.
• The single-mum superhero: She’s juggling work, bills, and bedtime stories. Flexibility is her non-negotiable. She needs to work for her child’s future without missing her child’s milestones and events.

These are just a few examples, in reality, employees come from diverse backgrounds and with different life circumstances. But even these few examples show how different employees’ priorities can be – and how quickly they can change. What worked for them a year ago may not apply anymore.

The ambitious single guy gets married and becomes a devoted family man and suddenly all the extra projects are not that attractive to him anymore.

The married woman working for joy tragically loses her husband in a traffic accident and becomes a single mum superhero who is suddenly the sole responsible for all the bills and her child’s needs.

Life happens, circumstances change, the employers have to stay flexible and adapt. Otherwise, employees will leave and find another place where their current needs are better met.

?? Why Flexibility and Emotional Availability Matter

As a leader, it’s not just about meeting KPIs and business goals. While those are essential for any business to succeed and sustain, it is even more important not to lose sight of the people who devote their time and workforce to those business goals. It’s about showing empathy and building relationships where your employees feel heard and understood.

• Be flexible: Offer options like remote work, flexible hours, or tailored workloads. Your single-mum employee and the overtime-loving hustler will appreciate different things.
• Be emotionally available: Take the time to understand what’s really driving (or stressing) your employees. Sometimes, a quick chat over coffee can tell you more than a formal review ever could.
• Stay dynamic: Needs change. Today’s career-focused high-flyer might want flexibility tomorrow when their life circumstances shift. Recognize and respond to these changes – it builds trust and loyalty.

?? What’s in it for Employers?

Meeting employees’ needs not just makes them happy – it keeps them motivated, reduces employee turnover, and makes your company a place where people want to work. And guess what? Happy employees = better results.

So, if you want to have motivated and thriving employees, start by asking: What do they need, and how can I help?

?? Let’s Chat

What strategies have worked for you in understanding and supporting your employees’ needs? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Disclaimer: The views and insights shared here are my own and are not intended to represent any organization unless explicitly stated.