Guest Commentator: Greg Denis, Business Consultant, TriNet, @TriNet
What are some non-traditional benefits that organizations can offer to increase employee job satisfaction?
In 2021, approximately 47.4 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs. This trend in job exits have been labeled as "The Great Resignation" and spans across a wide spectrum of industries and talent at all levels. Many organizations had to assess their company culture and pivot quickly to foster a work environment that can increase employee job satisfaction.
Strategic Ways to Increase Employee Satisfaction
The typical strategies of offering: higher wages, free food in the breakroom, or a birthday gift card can be expensive and difficult to manage. To combat The Great Resignation, consider these non-traditional benefits to increase employee job satisfaction.
- Invest in talent development.
People know when you care about them. Offering employees the opportunity to develop themselves reassures them. Development programs should help encourage employee development, professional education, and support from within the organization. In this internet era, development can happen remotely through self-directed learning management platforms and one-on-one mentorship from a colleague. A few ideas include on-demand resources, leveraging one-on-one or group coaching, job shadowing, and mentoring programs. - Encourage an inclusive work culture. An organization's ability to foster an inclusive environment can fundamentally impact job satisfaction and retention. Start by allowing employees to bring their authentic selves to work every day. This lessens the pressure to be perfect and encourages them to share their work challenges and experiences. Inclusive language should also be used to avoid unconscious bias and any type of potential discrimination within your organization and should be promptly addressed in a compliant process and taken seriously. You should be an ally for diversity and amplify marginalized voices, even when it seems difficult.
- Strategic employee recognition. When employees feel their efforts are noticed, they may feel more motivated and productivity levels can increase. However, not all employees like to be recognized in the same way. By conducting surveys and open forums to ask employees how they prefer to be recognized for their hard work, your organization is demonstrating to each employee that they are invested in their voice and happiness within the company.
Employee recognition can be used for individuals who meet or exceed their goals, make suggestions for performance improvement, or for any other behaviors that align with your organization's values. Recognition can be administered publicly or privately by anyone within the company.
The key to increasing employee job satisfaction is central to how your employees experience the organization. The experience begins the moment an applicant applies to your organization and extends to the time the employee retires or is terminated. When organizations can get their employees to feel connected, heard, and engaged – employee satisfaction tends to increase as well as company loyalty.
Upcoming Event
The Art of Inclusive Leadership: Fostering an Equitable Workplace
Thursday, October 13, 2022 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Inclusive leadership is emerging as a necessary form of company growth in today's workplace. According to research published by the Harvard Business Review, teams with inclusive leaders are more likely to report high performance, make high-quality decisions, and work more collaboratively. Practicing inclusive leadership is not just the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do.
As organizations prioritize workplace equality, having leaders at all levels committed to inclusion will be the key to progressing how our region does business. The great news is that anyone, from c-suite executives to entry-level associates, can learn to be a more inclusive leader.
Join us for a moderated conversation with regional DEI leaders who will provide a wealth of perspectives and best practices for being an effective, inclusive leader within your organization. Deepen your understanding of how inclusive leadership helps position organizations to compete in a market with diverse consumers, clients, and talent. Develop skills for architecting workplaces and workplace dynamics that create a unifying atmosphere that encourages people to be their authentic selves, invite diverse viewpoints and ideas, and amplify your team's potential to improve the company's well-being.
