Much has been said regarding what it takes to recruit and then retain good employees but it is really not as hard as some people would make out. My name is Jeff Campbell and I am the President of High Performance Employees.  What I always like to do is look at human nature and what drives us as human beings and then we can make a reasonably good guess at what employees need from their employers. I always go back to basics when trying to solve problems because after all, that is where we come from. Thousands of years of evolving and refining the human race makes us what we are today and believe it or not we still crave what we needed all those years ago.
 
These basic needs may never change e.g. food, clothing, a safe place to live, a partner to love and perhaps raise a family with, etc.  These are some of the basic needs but then we need something more than that. 


You see human beings need to feel that they are appreciated, that their voice is heard and that it matters.  We also seek the respect of our peers and we want that respect to be demonstrated in a way that satisfies us. It’s much like a child wanting to impress his parents or friends. And while we are on the subject of children and parents here is another thing that I’m positive would have really annoyed you as a child.  Perhaps it didn’t happen to you but if it did you will recognize it and it will stir up bad memories for you.
 
What we are talking about is the perception of being treated differently than our siblings by our parents.  If that has happened to you then you will know the anger and resentment it caused and, believe it or not, that anger and resentment will surface again if your employers treat you less well than another employee.  The funny thing is that they don’t have to treat you differently; rather you just have to perceive that they do.


It is also highly important to feel that our needs are being addressed and met by our loved ones and also those whom we work with.  When you think about it, if you feel that someone is ignoring you or not responding to a particular need of yours then you tend to become really angry and aggravated with that person. The same applies at home and at work, there is really no difference at all.


Keeping these things in mind I have compiled what I have experienced to be the top 7 factors that will keep your employees happy at work and help to retain your best employees.  Use these factors and you will find that it goes a long way to making your place of work a much more harmonious place to be.



Employees need:
1. To feel that they are appreciated by their colleagues/supervisors for work completed and as a person within their place of work. One of the most common traits amongst us all is that we all crave attention.  In our home lives and intimate relationships it’s very apparent that we want to be appreciated and that our loved ones must show that appreciation in a way that is acceptable to us. When we consider the relationship between employers and employees, the same ideal applies: in order for a successful, harmonious work environment, employees must feel appreciated. So find out what each individual person wants in terms of appreciation and give that to them. In terms of workplace satisfaction this is probably the most important factor.
2.  To feel that they are a worthwhile member of their team.  Once again if we look to our relationships at home we will find that a key factor that we all need is the feeling that we are a worthwhile and full member of our family group.  The same can be said about our relationships at work; we need that feeling of being included 100%.  Nobody likes to be an outcast!!
3. To be treated fairly and given praise when they have went beyond the call of duty.  Let’s face it, we all like to think that others like us and appreciate what we do for them.  Its only common sense that we all like to be praised for those things that we do for our peers. Look at the family unit again and we see that from a very early age children start to crave for attention and praise from their parents.  If it’s normal to seek that praise as a child then it’s normal to seek it as an adult. When any of your employees goes beyond the call be sure to give them praise; and please give it in the way that they like to receive it.  Make sure that you give the praise to all the employees that warrant it and don’t make the mistake of being unfair and leaving someone out. Do this and you will have employees that will do just about anything for you.    
4. To receive help and a sympathetic ear when they have personal or work related problems. We all need a helping hand at some point or maybe many points in our life.  You’ve probably required the help of a friend or colleague at some time and you may well need it again.  As humans we are not set up to cope totally alone and in isolation from others. Just remember that what happens at home naturally is carried into the workplace.  Lend a helping hand to those who need it and that helping hand will most likely will likely be paid back to you several times over. 


5. Salary in line with their expectations along with reasonable job security. As human beings we have an inherent need to feel safe and secure.  Some of our feelings of safety and security come from the ability to provide a roof over our heads and put food on the table for ourselves and our family.  In this day and age families need more and more to ‘keep up with the Jones’.  You can bet that your employees find this very important as well. If you don’t offer them a decent wage and some job security then they will show you as much loyalty and caring as you show them. Pay them well and offer incentives tailored to their needs and you will have a happy workforce that stay with you as long as you want them to.
6. The ability to apply for any promotional opportunities and be treated equally and fairly when doing so. This is an absolute ‘no-brainer’. Treat everyone fairly and steadfastly refuse to have favorites.  When you offer favor to one employee over another you will most likely end up losing one or, at best, end up with an employee that is so disillusioned that their effective work rate drops way below what it used to be. Add to this the fact that the employee will most likely tell every other employee about how badly he/she was treated and the damage to the company is multiplied many times over.
7. Loyalty from their company and colleagues. No-one likes to be thrown to the lions and if you do this in your company then it will instill nothing other than fear amongst your employees.  Believe me when I say that fear is not what you want. What you do want is loyalty and respect and these have to be earned over time.  And guess what your employees want? Yes that’s right; they want loyalty from their company and their colleagues too.  Everyone likes to think that when things go wrong their company and colleagues will stand by them and give them a helping hand rather than throw them to the lions.  Make sure that you are prepared to do that for your employees and in turn you will earn their loyalty and respect.

As Jeff Campbell of High Performance Employees has stated before, if you treat people in a special way you will get special results from them. Loyalty, openness, motivation, trust and collaboration will all increase. Staff turnover, stress, conflict, sickness, and disputes will go down.

High Performance Employees has the tools you need to introduce this culture into your organization in an easy and proven way. You know that your people deserve it so why not contact us today to find out how we can make your organization an even better place to work. contact@highperformanceemployees.com