Employee Expectations: What Your Workforce Really Wants

4 min read |

Last Updated on 18 July 2024

Do you know what your employees expect from you? Your customers? You are more likely to know the latter since they are your priority. But if you are not aware of or do not pay much heed to your employee expectations, you may fail big time. If your employees are dissatisfied and show low morale, it is going to affect your business. Your employees are the most critical assets, and they drive your business. And it is your responsibility to understand their expectations and fulfill them.

Today’s workforce seeks meaningful employee experience that can make their life work life more comfortable and satisfying. An employee experience is an overall experience that an employee has during their lifecycle, and they communicate within the workplace. It covers all aspects like wellbeing, needs, and internal communication with the team members and managers.

When employee expectations are met, they enjoy a satisfying work experience. What are the major employee expectations that today’s workforce seeks? Let us find out.

Employee Expectations In Businesses Today

1. Positive work culture

Culture is something that can make or break an organization. A good company culture will motivated employees to perform and fulfill the organizational goals. In contrast, a toxic culture can lead to low employee morale resulting in low employee retention and high employee turnover.

Culture is the organization’s personality, and every tangible and intangible aspect contributes to it. A company, therefore, needs to establish core company values that can keep everyone aligned.

According to jobvite.com, 46% of job seekers cite company culture as very important when applying to a company.

The statistics above tell a lot about what employees expect. The work environment and positive work culture draw employees and are potential reasons for rejecting an offer.

2. Recognition

Employees seek genuine recognition for the work they do. The dedication and time that one gives do not equate to a paycheck alone. People have needs, and often these needs are psychological and, therefore, must be compensated through other means.

Companies have realized the importance of recognizing their workforce and how these gestures can improve morale and boost employee satisfaction.

One of the easiest ways to do this is implementing a rewards and recognition platform that can cater to a diverse workforce. Digital recognition platforms also help in building internal communication among teams that are dispersed in different geographical locations.

Instant-Recognition

3. Work-Life Balance

Work-life must add value to your life and make it more fulfilling. Hectic schedules and work pressure can derail one’s peace and make one dissatisfied.

Hence, the implementation of work-life balance is crucial. Companies understand that employees must be given flexible work schedules to balance their work-life and home life. The digitization or the technological evolution has made work processes run virtually.

Therefore, it is easier for companies to provide employees the benefit of remote working if required to bring a work-life balance. Implementing work-life balance programs is also necessary to bring more awareness and employee wellbeing to understand their needs and work on them.

4. Respect and Trust

Respect and trust are what employees value the most. Employees want a work environment where they feel trusted and respected. It is also equally vital for them to be able to respect their peers or managers.

Employees can show a high level of disengagement when there is a lack of respect or unwanted behaviors. E.g., microaggression in the workplace is so prominent these days. People are judged for their appearance, gender, sexuality, ethnicities, and cultural background.

Employees who face microaggression are affected mentally, and it affects their overall productivity and wellbeing. They are also more likely to quit if the management takes no proper actions.

5. Transparency

Transparency is an essential aspect of employee expectations.

Transparency is the openness shared by the employer and the employees. Employees are only invested in the work they do when they are aware of the small/big decisions of the company. Also, when are well informed about any business strategy that is going to take place. People want to be included. People find a sense of fulfillment by being part of the larger story, making their effort count.

Therefore employees seek an open door policy. Companies must encourage them to ask questions and share their concerns. It will encourage them to discuss work issues openly and proactively. Also, provide them with a sense of respect that will boost their productivity and keep them satisfied.

6. Feedback

Feedback is a great morale booster, and every employee expects feedback to be given to improve their performance. For them, it’s imperative for their growth and understanding of a job. Lack of feedback can create a lot of miscommunication. As well as employee dissatisfaction in the workplace.

Managers or leaders must master the art of giving feedback when it comes to redirecting employees. To point out the problems in a way that helps employees to understand the silver lining behind it is a challenging task for them, it seems. Many fail while doing it, but the good news is that employers can learn it over time.

Finally!

As you can see, employee expectations of modern business revolve around many aspects. It is more about providing a good employee experience to keep them happy and satisfied. You keep your employees happy, and they will take care of your business.

This article is written by Braja Deepon Roy. He works as a Content Creator and Digital Marketer at Vantage Circle. He actively participates in the growth of corporate culture and keeps himself updated in this space. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com