More Than The Paycheck

No one works for free. But employee engagement - and thus retention - depends on more than their paycheck. Here are some of the things that employees value just as much as (or sometimes more than) their salary.

Opportunities for growth.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, having access and support to professional development and promotion opportunities is a key part of an employee's sense of well-being.

Flexibility.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to work creatively and relax some of the rigid structures we inherited from generations of professionalism. Post COVID, some employees really don't want to go backwards. For many, working from home, for example, allows for greater work-life balance and more productivity. For others, it's the ability to set dynamic or unorthodox schedules that best align with their most productive hours. Either way, one of the silver linings of a global pandemic was that we saw that "work" can look different for all of us without sacrificing quality effort.

Relationships.

Gallup's Q12 assessment includes whether an employee feels like someone at their job cares about them. When people feel cared for, they also feel more motivated to do good work. This is because they know that work will be valued, and because of a greater sense of responsibility for their coworkers (meaning they won't want to shirk their duties). They will also trust you to discuss any challenges or issues that arise rather than fearfully hiding problems that you could solve together.

Is your team situated to offer these non-monetary benefits? If not, take a look at the manager's toolkit to see how you can start shifting your team's culture today.