The 6 Things Employees Want Most

From remote work to increased autonomy, the pandemic lifestyle has greatly changed what employees want – and in many cases, expect – from their employers.

While more companies and organizations are returning to in-office work or adopting a hybrid approach employee satisfaction and new norms have remained top of mind. And there’s good reason. In data collected through March 2021, 40% of workers reported they were more productive at home than when they had been in the office.

That productivity alone has made employers more willing to go to the drawing board for new hires and to retain existing team members. Here are 6 things employees want most moving forward and why you should provide it.

Remote work. Flexibility is the name of the game for employees nowadays, especially after they proven their resilience and ability to work from home throughout the pandemic. A recent study published in the Harvard Business Review stated 88% of workers say when searching for a new position, they will look for one that offers complete flexibility in their hours and location.

A clear path to growth. Career advancement opportunities are also a top priority, according to a 2021 IBM study. This includes both upward mobility in the company, as well as also opportunities to develop professionally through tuition reimbursement programs or even continuing education stipends. When those perks aren’t offered, candidates are turning around. In 2021, employees are citing a lack of salary increases and promotion opportunities as the top reason for career moves.

An efficient interview process. With Zoom and a widening candidate pool due to the acceptance of remote work, high-level candidates aren’t waiting around for positions like they used to. They also don’t want an interview process that drags on for hours. Four-hour technical panel interviews, for example, won’t get the draw they once did. Companies should keep the interview process concise by getting as much information as possible up front and involving only the key players. And remember to move quick when the right candidate comes along.

Good working relationships with teammates and management. On top of company culture, and a spirit of inclusiveness and diversity, there’s an overarching desire among employees to have positive relationships with their peers and leadership. Part of that includes implementing collaborative technology to enable agile learning, which employers have cited as an important factor in recruiting and retaining the best talent.

Good benefits. Companies across the board have begun responding to greater concerns about medical coverage in a post-pandemic world with more perks, a major draw for employees. A 2021 study by IBM cited mega-retailer Target as one example. The company has announced it would extend its coronavirus benefits into 2021, including free virtual healthcare, quarantine and confirmed illness pay, and a back-up family care benefit. In total, the advancements increased employee spending on health, safety and well-being in 2020 by $1 billion over 2019

An efficient hiring process. On the same token as shorter interviews, companies are beginning to come in with competitive offers quickly. This is a hot market and candidates are interviewing multiple places at once, so you have to SELL the candidate on your company – that’s not just the agency’s job. When you’re providing an offer to a qualified candidate, think about the entire package – from pay and benefits to a company culture that feels inviting and respectful of candidate’s time. Today’s employees want it all, so finding a way to give it to them could mean the difference in finding the perfect candidate and not.