It is great to hear that unemployment has fallen to its lowest rate since July 2008, according to official figures from the Office of National Statistics. It appears the number of jobless people dropped by 76,000 to 1.84 million in the three months to February. What’s more, average weekly earnings in the three months to February, excluding bonuses, rose by 1.8% compared with the same period a year earlier.
Really great news to hear but it got me thinking about the things people want most in their jobs, aside from the salary which is key for most of us.
With the free market determine the salaries in most products and services, the most important value-added component an organisation can offer to retain and engage its people will increasingly be…job satisfaction.
Extensive research over the years to uncover the things that are most important to people in their jobs consistently highlights a number of essential components which deliver job satisfaction. So with this being the case, here are 5 top things people want most in their job:-
1. Recognition
People want recognition for a job well done. Mark Twain famously said he could live for two months on a good compliment. It’s widely known that recognition is a primary motivator of people. What gets rewarded gets repeated!
2. Meaningful work
People want to feel that they’re making a difference – helping to achieve something worthwhile. This can be something within the organisation, the community or even globally. Reminding your team that everything they do touches other people, adds meaning to their lives and significance to their work.
Most people don’t want to just simply do work that meets minimum standards and expectations but to do quality work: A+ work! Ask your team what it takes for them to do their job really well and ask if they will commit to that standard.
3. Regular feedback
People want to know how they’re doing and how they can improve. Feedback on results (goals) is the number one motivator of people. Effective feedback is a regular, ongoing process – not something saved up for an annual review! Feedback is the breakfast of champions!
4. Responsibilities
People need to believe that they’re responsible for their own actions can have some influence on what happens and that they’re trusted. Self-directed teams give people clear responsibility – and the freedom ‘to get on with it’. They are also the ultimate delegation tool for busy managers.
5. Chance to learn
People want opportunities to grow into more significant positions with greater responsibility, and ultimately, to increase their value to the organisation. Supporting your team members in getting professional qualifications or by developing their skills through training, coaching and mentoring, is a great way to open this door for them.
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