Things an employee values more than money
Employees these days aren’t as worried about the paychecks that they get at the end of the week as they used to be. In our modern work environment, they look for things other than their salary to keep them happy at their job.
While money is still an important factor for a potential employee, it isn’t necessarily on the top of the list. There are other factors that come into play and are more important in their job selection process.
Here are four things that employees today look for in a job, other than the salary. The list is in no particular order.
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Company Culture
Company culture is an important factor in the decision process for a current and future people you want to attract to your team. You want to create a culture that will bring in people of different backgrounds and skills, and one that will align with what the employees expect.
Employees that fit into the culture created by the company, and are more inclined to work harder and take on more tasks. If they feel like they have the opportunity to move up in the office, they will perform other tasks to ensure that they will get to their desired position in the company.
On the other hand, if they have a negative feeling about the culture, and their work environment, then they will be more prone to not work as hard and slack off.
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Strong Approachable Leadership
Another important factor for an employee is managers and leadership that are easily approachable, but also strong. This doesn’t only apply to the top leadership positions, but also to their bosses that they report to on a daily basis.
The approachability of leadership can encourage the employee to come to them and discuss anything they feel like they want or need. This can range from anything about the current project they’re working on; the employee’s future plans within the company; or even any issues that the employee is having within the office.
The strength of leadership will help an employee stay strong and passionate about the project that they’re working on. A strong manager should be able to provide constructive feedback to the employee and encouragement, when it’s needed. They also can backup the employee if the employee needs it when dealing with a tough client or tougher upper management.
Unapproachable or weak leadership can drive an employee away from the company.
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Opportunity to Grow
Having the opportunity to grow and develop, past the role that the employee was hired for, is another crucial element for the modern employee.
If given the opportunity, employees nowadays would be much happier to perform other tasks that grow their skills and move them up in the company. They want to be able to prove their worth to their managers and show them that they can improve upon their skillset that they have in the office already.
The opportunity for growth is very important for the employee to stick with the company that they work for already and to feel like a valued team player in the office. And Pew Research Center’s 2016 shows that 87% of workers think they’ll need to take additional training to keep their skills up and keep improving as the technology in the office improves.
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Flexibility to Balance Work and Life
The flexibility to balance an employee’s work life, and an employee’s personal life is also important to the modern employee. Having the ability to find a balance between the office and their home is key for the employee to be happy and successful in their job.
Many people value the opportunity of being able to be home at a certain time everyday, or keep up with their daily routine after they leave the office. Parents are particularly keen on finding that balance between their jobs and being at home. Having the flexibility to leave when they need to, to go pick up their child from school, or even work from home when their child is sick, is something that ranks high on their list.
Outside of the money the employee is making, he/she also has a lot to think about when looking for a new job, or even staying at their current position.
