December 21, 2011

Employees Want R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Written by: David Grossman

It’s a simple thought─give employees what they want to drive engagement. To find out what those requests are, HR Magazine UK examined and identified seven elements that employees seek from both their managers and organizations. Placed into the acronym R.E.S.P.E.C.T, these employee needs relate to and affect commitment, retention, overall satisfaction, and employee engagement in the workplace.

Results from this study (ongoing for over 30 years)─of over 200,000 employees from around the world─ found that organizations that give employees what they want have an engagement level that is up to117 percent higher than those organizations which don’t deliver on employee needs, and 64 percent higher operational performance.

Here are the results to achieve R.E.S.P.E.C.T:

Recognition

Recognition for your employees and the work that they do, most importantly from the leaders who are familiar with their work. Employees who feel recognized are four times more likely to rate their boss as an outstanding leader.

Exciting Work

Employees seek out work that is challenging, interesting, and that fulfills their need for a sense of accomplishment. Excitement for work was found to come from learning something new, pioneering a project, or operating with autonomy.

Security of Employment

Job security was found to be related to the level of trust that employees felt toward leaders in their organization. Employees’ interest in the organization’s future and work is tied to their job security and the need they have to fulfill their financial obligations.

Pay

The most important factor concerning employee pay is that it’s fair. Compensation should be based upon the work done and the contributions made.

Education and Career Growth

Allow and encourage employees the opportunities to continue to develop their skills and work toward career advancement.

Conditions

A comfortable, healthy, and safe environment is the type of place employees want to work in. However, more important than the physical environment for many people is the social environment.

Truth