What Employees Want

Michael Beck

, Executive Coach & Business Strategist | 2/13/2013

from Enterprise Efficiency

It may be easy in this economy to find all the employees you need, but it doesn't mean that you're getting the best effort from your team.

There's a huge gap between someone just doing enough to keep their job and someone who's engaged, enthused, and willing to go the extra mile.

And while a good pay scale is important, it doesn't do the trick. Generally, money doesn't motivate many people. Years ago, I used to cite a study done in 1980 as proof, but lately, a number of current studies confirm that the things that matter to people are still the same. Human nature doesn't change.

If you're a manager, it must send chills down your spine to read that 65 percent of employees said they'd take a new boss over a pay raise!

So the question is, how do you make a difference with your team so that they're not only happy and loyal, but give you their best? The means to do this fall into two categories. The first relates to who you are as a leader, and the second pertains to what people want from their boss and their company.

Here are a few points to consider regarding who you are as a leader:

• A leader who has no vision fails to inspire. It's one of the major gripes people have about their managers. People want a sense of purpose and it's our job to help provide one.
  


• If you have no standards of performance, then anything will do. If you want to instill a sense of pride in people, you need to establish an expected level of performance and quality for your department and your team.
  


• Have integrity. Simply put, do what you say you're going to do. Be the person you claim to be and be consistent in your actions. People respond to someone they respect and admire.

As far as what people want from their boss and their company, here is some further insight:

• People want appreciation. Sounds simple enough, but often the demands of our job cause us to overlook this. Thank people for their effort. Acknowledge and recognize people publically for their accomplishments.
  


• People want respect. One of the most powerful means of showing respect for someone is to listen to them. People want to be heard. Solicit ideas from people, empathize with them, and don't be dismissive. When we respect others, they respect us.
  


• People want opportunity. No one wants to remain stagnant. When we help people grow, we make them more valuable and they feel more valued. When we look out for others, they look out for us.
  


• People want enjoyment. There's enough stress in the workload and in the world without adding to it. Create a positive work environment where people actually want to show up. How do you do that? I don't know... ask them.

Simply paying people will yield good results. But if you really want high performance and outstanding results, give people what they really want.