Employees' Expectations Have Changed, Did You Miss it?

For many employees, the COVID shutdown offered a new clarity and perspective on their lives, one they had previously not had the time or opportunity to consider. This new perspective has led many to irrevocably change both their expectations and their priorities when it comes to working.  Many businesses that were rightfully focused on survival lost touch with their workforces. Workforces were changing but employers didn’t notice due to the limited ability of employees to change positions.

Once the market reopened, the floodgates of demand made businesses understand they needed more workers. Employers’ outdated assumptions made them susceptible to the tidal wave of employee turnover that was to come. So how can businesses move forward?

First, you need to understand employees’ new expectations.  While in the past many business leaders felt the most important thing employees wanted was a fair salary,  and that provided sufficient motivation, they now need to understand employees are looking not only for compensation but also for less tangible things like working in a good culture, development opportunities, flexibility, autonomy, and having their voices heard.

Intentional, empathetic leadership will bring people together and help get the best out of your teams, while conducting workplace surveys and third-party research are great ways to gather insights into the varied scope and depth of workers’ desires.

To shape the future of work a company must always anticipate change and make changes accordingly. This requires us to first really know our employees.  Cultivating the employer/employee relationship, understanding why they leave us and why they stay, and checking LinkedIn and our websites are all essential in making sure we are rising to the expectations of our employees and encouraging candidates to choose us as a place to work.