In a data-driven culture, we tend to focus on and trust what the numbers tell us. We run our businesses by them and far too often apply similar calculations and algorithms to employee management and leadership practices.
While employee output and satisfaction is quantifiable, it is important to remember that employees are in fact people who exhibit a vast array of contrasting human qualities. These people are all driven by very different desires and needs, and determining how to keep each one satisfied and engaged is challenging.
The 2022 Society for Human Resource Management Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Report provides a wealth of eye-opening knowledge on workers. Two of the most critical factors that contributed to employee satisfaction were communication between employees and senior management, and the relationship between employees and their direct supervisors.
But fluid communication between talent and management may seem arduous, time-consuming, and scary, especially in large organizations. So what can you do to keep the communication channels open and your employees satisfied?
Money isn’t everything
Money may make the world go-'round, but for your employees, it is only part of the puzzle. You may be surprised to learn that only one of the top 5 most important aspects of employee job satisfaction reported by SHRM involves money:
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Opportunities to use skills and abilities
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Job security
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Compensation/pay
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Communication between employees and senior management
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Relationship with immediate supervisors
These statistics evidence a shift in what is most important to today’s employees. Regardless of industry type or company size, employees of all ages and backgrounds are looking for more than a steady paycheck and a dental plan. They want to have an impact and they want that impact to be acknowledged.
Community Manager.