Though everyone may want something unique from their job, there are some common things that employees want their job to provide. Overall employees want to gain a sense of confidence, competence and control.
During the 1960s, clinical psychologist Fredrick Herzberg researched the reasons behind employee satisfaction and discovered that certain workplace factors contribute to job satisfaction and motivation = motivators – while a completely separate set of factors contribute to dissatisfaction = hygiene factors. This became known as the Two Factor Theory of Motivation.
Herzberg found that people need to have the hygiene factors met, because they are unhappy without them. However, hygiene factors do not provide satisfaction and do not lead to higher motivation. Employees are just dissatisfied without them.
What really motivates employees is having interesting work, that challenges them, along with increased responsibility, autonomy, and recognition for a job well done. According to Herzberg, motivating factors like these fill our hierarchical need for growth and achievement.
Satisfiers and Dissatisfiers are factors that influence work behavior. Satisfiers are motivation givers. Dissatisfiers (or hygiene factors) are maintenance factors that do not provide satisfaction but are critical as without them we can not have engaged and committed employees.
Hygiene factors (Dissatisfiers) include:
- Job security
- Relationship with supervisor
- Salary
- Company policies that frustrate or hinder
- Benefits like health insurance and vacation plans
- Work conditions
Motivators (Satisfiers) include:
- Opportunity to use skills and abilities and have challenging work
- Recognition
- Promotion
- Opportunity for personal and professional development
- Autonomy
- Opportunity to do something meaningful
- Sense of importance to an organization
- Feeling consulted and valued
- Receiving greater responsibility
As you may know, though money is something that can make us happy, this happiness is only for a short time. That is why money is a dissatisfier. Satisfiers, like in the examples listed above, bring about more long term happiness and fulfillment.
In 2003, Towers Perrin, listed 15 Employee Satisfiers.
These are still very relevant today. Employees want:
- Confidence in their skills and the ability to do a job well and get meaning from it
- Education, training and learning of new things
- Upward mobility, increased responsibility and rewards; not a dead-end job
- Job security and good opportunities in a growing company with no particular short or long-term worries
- Having new, different and intellectually stimulating assignments
- Receiving pay and bonuses commensurate with their level of contribution and commitment
- Being noticed, respected, appreciated and valued for a job well done; not receiving only negative feedback
- Being able to make a significant, valuable contribution, feeling heard and the freedom to speak up
- Making a real difference for the company, for customers, for other people
- Having a full and busy workday, without artificial deadlines or ‘make work’ projects
- Compatible, trustworthy and team-oriented co-workers
- Fair, open-minded and supportive management that doesn’t micro-manage and demonstrates trust and respect
- Financially sound, reputable place to work and a place to be proud of
- Exciting and stimulating work environment with manageable amount of stress
- Level of anticipation and enthusiasm about going to work each day, having a job one looks forward to doing
So, how do you as the manager ensure that you are satisfying your employees’ needs?
Start with ensuring that hygiene factors are taken care of. Without these foundations, job satisfaction, engagement and retention will be difficult to achieve. Base salary should be competitive, as should benefits like health insurance. Learn to defeat the local rumor mill quickly by addressing any job security issues upfront and be as transparent as possible when undertaking major changes.
Develop Positive Relationships With Team Managers:
According to the 2016 Global Talent Management and Rewards and Global Workforce Studies, only 45% of employees said that the people manager role in their organization was respected. 54% thought that their manager did not have enough time to handle the people aspect of the job. They also thought that their manager lacked the skills and tools in critical areas such as performance management.
To improve the effectiveness of your managers:
- Don’t overload your managers. Allow them enough time to do the people side of their job
- Ensure that they listen to and treat their employees with respect
- Provide the right tools and training in areas ranging from performance management to career development
- Use formal assessments to identify the best candidates for the manager role
- Aligned managers with your leadership so that employees see everyone working together effectively
Next, address the Satisfiers. Make Your Employees Feel Valued and Important.
Leaders must build up two-way trust within the organization. When employees feel that they are trusted, they will share issues openly instead of keeping them to themselves. When a manager encourages their employees to share their challenges, achievements, and ideas and when the manager highlights their people’s strengths, those employees are far more productive and creative.
Effective Performance Management
Fewer than half (48%) of employees report that performance reviews have helped improve their
performance. For performance management to be effective, employees must understand the process. Effective performance management relies on a continuous discussion-based process that involves providing feedback in a nonjudgmental way and having conversations on the type of performance required. This includes discussions around possession of the necessary skills and demonstration of desired behaviors needed to be successful in their role.
Confidence, Competence and Control
Employees want to be treated with respect, develop meaningful relationships and contribute the skills and abilities in which they can take pride in. They want to be able to speak up and share their ideas. They need to have control over what they do and how they do it. As leaders, we need to understand that the hygiene factors are the base that we build on. The satisfiers build confidence, competence and provide the desired control that employees need to stay motivated, engaged and committed to our organization.
Questions
How satisfied are your teams with their jobs?
How important is this to your company?
Do all of your leaders know what keeps their teams satisfied?
Do you need someone to work with your leaders on developing a supportive culture?
If so, Beverly Can Provide This Training. Please feel free to call and discuss the details at: 705-786-0437
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
Additional Resources:
Social Connections and The Importance Of Workplace Relationships
Celebrations and Social Gatherings
Leaders Effectively Handling Workplace Change
Workplace Wellness: Management Practices That Can Lead To A Toxic Workplace
Increase Productivity And Reduce Stress With The S-O-S Principle
Ways Of Preserving The Wellness Of Corporate Leaders
Moving From Engagement To Employee Efficiency
International Leadership Week – February 1-7
Rashidu Musa says
This is very educating