Remember Maslow's pyramid? It's this pyramid that helps us build a causal link between changes and employee benefits. Look at its levels.
Maslow's Pyramid:
Self-actualization
Esteem needs
Belonging needs
Safety needs
Physiological needs
According to Maslow, we can't be completely happy. When safety needs are at least half met, we look forward to the next stage. So. At the pyramid bottom, there are the requirements of food, sleep, water, and air. Then, we all want to be safe, including mentally. For example, we must be confident about our future. At the third stage, we want to belong to a social group. Family, friends, and working team meet this need. The fourth stage is the need for esteem. We need to be listened to and appreciated. And the greediest need is self-actualization. Maslow believed we can keep chasing it our entire lives. At this stage, we wish to be creative, we want to develop ourselves and the world around us.
In different circumstances, we may stand on different stages of the pyramid. Imagine we want to join some hobby club. But it is very expensive. So the first pyramid stage rises to the fore. We mention money because we use it to pay for food and rent. Different people meet their needs differently. For someone, a studio apartment in the styx may be enough, but for someone else, a huge apartment downtown may not cut it.
Let me explain some things.
Tools. Without tools, employees can't work, which means they won't get paid and meet further needs.
Work-rest schedule. It must be observed. After all, if a person fails to get adequate sleep at home, they will have to do it at the workplace, even with all the issues that may bring.
Safety needs
Workwear
Employee benefits
Work conditions
Competitive pay
Security
Gym
Transport
Stability
Now look. Employee benefits. This means, on one hand, what the law has laid out, and on the other hand, what the company offers. Pension programs are also here.
Work conditions. Here we're talking about the adequacy of, let's say, a screwdriver, or a comfortable office chair, so on.
Competitive pay. If the very fact of the existence of the pay was enough before, now we want to have it legally and without any delays.
It is important for an employee that his workplace is properly protected. That there is an opportunity to observe safety regulations. Fire extinguishers and first-aid kits are vital.
Gym. The opportunity to exercise is on the second stage because it is directly connected to employee's health.
Any kind of care regarding employees and their families is here. For example, corporate transport and children's daycares.
Stability. It is important for an employee to feel that the company is stable and will not be going bankrupt anytime soon.
The need to belong to a social group.
Good atmosphere.
Common goals.
Teamwork.
Meetings.
At this stage, there are various events: community service, team building, training, creativity. This is also about the corporate media, brand marks, merchandise. Let's move on.
Esteem needs
Wall of fame
Status raise
Access to critical goods
Extra pay for track record
Company status
You might be skeptical about the wall of fame. Your experience most likely confirms it doesn't work. In one of the following lessons, you'll learn why this is so and how to use the walls effectively.
Take, for example, the employee status. How can it be raised? For example, give an employee the opportunity for promotion and achievement of new skills. I understand, there is not always the possibility for promotion. But a position itself may not be important for the employee. Give them some unofficial title. Like, Senior Certain-Type Task Solver. Or a mentor for new hires.
What do you think is meant by "access to critical goods"? It's simple: for example, you can send only one person to a desired-by-many business trip. Or when some office room is free, you can give it to someone who deserves it. You might also reward a person with a parking spot, a new laptop, a nice chair, the honor of representing the company at some exhibition. Or even a bonus. But only face to face.
Company status can also be important. Wouldn't it be nice to boast a little bit that your employer is so famous? Now let's look at the greediest need.
Self-actualization
Professional development
Interest in the process
Achieving the set goals
Training
Mentoring
See what the problem is. The esteem needs can be tough to distinguish from the need for self-actualization. The main difference is that self-actualization requires comparison with the progress of the specific person themself, and not with that of others. Therefore, not only the fact of going to the conference is important for the employee. But the fact of whether or not they were helpful. Employees must feel independent and responsible. They are interested in the process and enjoy achievements.
Being at this stage, a person takes part in the professional skills competition because they are interested in the very process of preparing for it.
Pay attention to mentoring. At the fourth stage, a person could enjoy the very fact of being someone's mentor. But now it is important for them to share experience.
Hobby clubs are also here, but in the form of sports or creativity.
Have you noticed that the same things can be found on different levels? Ask a person why they are doing their job. If they say that it's interesting to them, then they are meeting their need for self-actualization. If the answer contains the word "appointed," then recognition is important.
The companies often do not go beyond the second stage. They use mainly money for motivation. However, if we know exactly what motivates your employee, we can think of a personal offer that directly strikes their needs. So that the employee would understand the benefit of changes.
If we know that our employee needs to belong to some social group, then we will focus on this in our personal offer. However. If we tell the same person that he or she will be managing, we'll lose their attention.