Every person is different, right? Yes. Therefore everyone’s individual interests and needs are to be taken seriously. Luckily, years of research have highlighted the most important elements to keeping every employee motivated, engaged and happy at work and achieving this is genuine interest to employers and employees. Managers and employees should pay attention to these must-haves in order to maintain a fulfilling work life:
1 – Autonomy in the workplace
Autonomy (a person’s ability to act on his or her own values and interests) is generally regarded as the most important predictor of job retention, and it involves power over task execution and completion. An autonomous employee is one that is given a deadline, but also the flexibility to execute it however they want without any micromanagement. Very often, there is no clear best way to do something, and having decisional power over task execution can boost a sense of ownership and satisfaction over whatever is being done.
2 – Respectful and Constructive feedback
Hear us out, especially if you’re a c-level executive manager or a team lead! Receiving feedback is important to be kept motivated, however, feedback should be delivered in a very precise way. First of all, feedback should be timely, and delivered as soon as possible after a key behavior. Moreover, positive feedback should be honest. It may sound obvious, but honest feedback is not as common as some think, and human beings are not unable to detect lies.
On the other hand, negative feedback should not exist. You heard it right: the only kind of feedback covering mistakes should focus on points of improvement, not merely on what did not go well. Such feedback should focus on behaviors and not on the person itself, and it should always be delivered in private. Take your notes on this one!
3 – Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief to be able to accomplish a given goal. In order to be satisfied with your efforts, it is important to know that you’re able to carry them out. There are two main ways to achieve self-efficacy: the first one is making an effort to believe in yourself, therefore initiating a “self-fulfilling prophecy”.
The second one begins with the manager, and occurs when high belief towards a team member ends up in more resources being allocated to the same, which eventually leads to higher self-efficacy. Resources may include attention, funding or even praise. The take-home message is clear: make an effort to believe in yourself and in the abilities of others!
4 – A good manager
The saying goes “people leave managers, not companies’’, and that is exactly true. A good manager is key for job satisfaction, retention and happiness. In general, a good manager is respectful toward their team members, believes in them and empowers them. It is important to remember that the rest of the team also holds a responsibility towards their manager. Work relationships, as other kinds of relationships, are mutual.
5 – Supportive colleagues
The need for belongingness is one of the most basic, and it is important from both an evolutionary and societal perspective. Going to a job you like can be fun, but isn’t it better to do it with your friends? A cooperative and pleasant work atmosphere can make the difference between a good and a bad job, so it is important to be surrounded by nice/friendly people.
Why do people leave their jobs?
People mostly decide to quit their occupations when one or more of the points mentioned above are missing. Luckily, we are witnessing an historical moment with plenty of job opportunities. Are you looking for a new job, maybe where all of the important elements for being satisfied at work are present? Then check out PCN’s job page!
