What Do Employees Really Want from Their Jobs? Insights from an HR Manager

A variety of opinions arise when we talk about hiring and retaining employees. Presently, I am working in a real estate company as an HR Manager, where stability is minimal and professionalism is on its way to perfection. While analyzing an employee's career wants and needs, I have come across some very interesting facts which I would like to share with all.

What an Employee Wants

1. "I want... A job that gives me the chance to be creative."
2. "I want... A career and not just a job."
3. "I want... The opportunity to enhance my career."
4. "I want... A company that makes me feel an important part of the team."
5. "I want... A company that invests in people."
6. "I want... A job that gives me the chance to be creative."
7. "I want... A career and not just a job."
8. "I want... To work for a company that recognizes my achievements."
9. "I want... A job that gives me the right work-life balance."
10. "I want... A company that really listens to its people."

Regards

That is an interesting sharing and articulates employees' expectations and aspirations. Unfortunately, people are unable to translate their wish list into a practical and pragmatic example that indicates/profiles the specific expectations. For example, Point 10 states - A company that listens to its people. How do you expect the company to demonstrate this? Do employees have any suggestions to implement this? Often the employee is clueless, or some smart fellows will give a one-line reply, 'have a suggestion box scheme.' Implementing the suggestion box scheme itself is a humongous task, for it has to be perceived as fair and pragmatic.

From a management perspective, while a company can attempt to provide the right work environment incorporating all these expectations, it would be nearly impossible to tailor/cater to the specific expectations of individual employees. What can be attempted, though, is to make an exhaustive list as above and during appraisals ask each employee to rank the three expectations that they would like the company to incorporate. After collating the rankings, the company can identify the most commonly expressed issues and then work on a specific plan of action to address the said issue. However, management may not be able to cater to the most commonly articulated request because of their own compulsions, e.g., work-life balance. If this translates to mean employees expect a 5-day week and/or more holidays and/or fewer working hours, prudent management will have to be extremely careful in tackling this issue.

All the same, the sharing captures some essential truths. I would urge employees reading this post to enumerate practical ways and means to fulfill each of the above expectations of employees. This will enable HR and management to have more inputs to enable them to give due attention to the employee expectations.

Regards

It is a good compilation of the wants and expectations. Like there are two sides to a coin, there is a flip side also. Management also has its expectations about a candidate. The situation is very much a give and take from both sides. The person seeking a career has to ensure that he delivers first. It takes time. Then the recognition comes. The behavior pattern follows a continual improvement curve. Merit cannot be suppressed for a long time. If the current employer does not give what is due at the end of an assessment period, the right candidate moves out.

The Concept of Knowledge Workers

While describing the challenges that emerge in this century, the nonagenarian Peter F. Drucker christens the talented performing people as KNOWLEDGE WORKERS. They cannot be just contained without recognition. He made this statement at the end of the last century!!

Thanks for the post.

Regards, V. Raghunathan
Navi Mumbai

How often do we appreciate or value someone when they give a new idea? If you talk to your people, they are scared of sharing all the brilliant ideas they have because of the fear of being mocked by their colleagues if their idea is not so great, or they might be looked down upon by their supervisor if it is found to be a simple and plain idea.

We should instead ask our people how they would solve the problem if they were facing it, and then have 30 ideas to choose from, without racking our brains. We can also recognize the person whose idea is implemented by giving them a small token of appreciation.

Do we ever go back to the people to ask how they want to grow and what we can do to help them achieve their goals? Add this question to your appraisal form. At least try to reach and help a few people annually. They'd be grateful.

In my organization, whenever a salesperson brings in money, they ring the bell and everyone claps for them. Even our CEO comes out to congratulate them personally.

This would be HR's responsibility. We need to work for them. Do not make communication a one-way thing. Take the queries and concerns of your people to the management. Do not do so by framing the person. Sure, we need to be diplomats and confidential people. Just like we ensure confidentiality from top to bottom, if we maintain similar confidentiality from bottom to top, we would be trusted, and more concerns would flow to us, which could be handled.

Hope it helped :)

I like this list and believe each of these are indeed items that some employees want. I wonder if you could provide the source of the data? I want to be sure to give proper credit if I use it.

Thanks.

Dear Friend, In interviews and resumes, these terms are used across various fields, but they are not always true as employees do not always adhere to these comments. However, most of the time, the meanings of these terms are as follows:

Common Career Aspirations

1. “I want... A job that gives me the chance to be creative.”
This means I want a job where I can work as I wish, and no one should check or stop me.

2. “I want... A career and not just a job.”
This means I want a job that will always remain with me, irrespective of my performance.

3. “I want... The opportunity to enhance my career.”
This means I am looking for a job that will give me a good salary and promotions.

5. “I want... A company that invests in people.”
This implies a desire for a company that values and develops its employees.

6. “I want... A job that gives me the chance to be creative.”
Again, this reflects a desire for autonomy in the workplace.

7. “I want... A career and not just a job.”
This reiterates the desire for job security and long-term growth.

9. “I want... A job that gives me the right work-life balance.”
This means the person wants a job where incentives are far greater than the work they are going to do, enhancing their lifestyle. For an employee, a good balance often means less work and more money.

Dear friend, all these lines are set and very old lines used by people for many decades. I tell you, the best way to review a resume is to focus on the qualifications, experience, and references, as all other details are often copied from other resumes or books.

Have you ever come across any resume or candidate who will say, "I will work against the interest of the company," or "I won't work hard," or "I just want the job because I was unsuccessful in all other interviews"? Or someone who admits to being sacked by a previous employer for misconduct? So, just read them and forget them. Try to screen the employee and find their real intentions. Mostly, no one cares for the company unless the rewards are more than the work. It's the same way every company wants to pay Rs 50 for the Rs 5000 earned by the employee, and most employees wish to have more than what they have given to the company.

Good Luck.

Dear friend, all these lines are set and very old lines used by people for many decades. I tell you the best way to go through the resume is just to review the qualifications, experience, and references, as all other details are just copied from some other resume or books. Have you ever come across any resume or candidate who will say, "I will work against the interest of the company," or say, "I won't work hard," or cheat the company, or "I just want the job as I was unsuccessful in all other interviews," or "I was sacked by my previous employer for missing duties or misbehaving with the customers." So just read them and forget; try to screen the employee and find their real intention. Mostly, no one cares for the company unless the rewards are more than the work. It's the same way every company wants to pay Rs 50 for the Rs. 5000 earned by the employee, and most employees wish to have more than what they have given to the company. Good luck.

That is very true, sir. Just wanted to put forth a suggestion; please don't take me wrong. If we try to walk a little extra and give them some comfort, perhaps they'd recognize us better. Sure, as an employee, my needs may never be satisfied. Today, if you'd do something for me, tomorrow I'd ask for something else. But I sincerely feel we can give them at least a little space and try to be considerate. Sure, I do not have much experience in this. Perhaps, five years down the line, I may contradict what I am saying now. But that was just what I felt at this point in time. Hope it wasn't very out of the way :)