Safety, recognition, inclusion: How to address basic employee needs
Employers seeking to retain skilled workers would do well to take steps to ensure a more inclusive and inviting workplace.
More than a few workers have been harassed or discriminated, or don’t feel included or recognized by their employer. But employers can do something about that, according to the 2020 Workhuman Analytics and Research Institute report, “The State of Humanity at Work.”
“The hope is this data can help HR and senior leaders gain a deeper understanding of how to better cater to core human needs, such as safety, fair pay, work-life harmony, growth, inclusion and belonging, and recognition,” the authors write. “The good news is there are concrete steps you can take to prevent this type of experience and put your people and your business in a better position to thrive.”
Related: Creating workplaces where everyone can thrive
Why should employers care?
“For one, the skills shortage is real, and if your company hasn’t yet been affected, it soon will be,” they write. “This year’s survey found 21 percent of workers are actively looking for a new job. That doesn’t include those who would passively entertain a call from a recruiter.”
Workhuman surveyed 2,613 fulltime workers, and found that 15 percent of the respondents report they’ve been sexually harassed at work. Of males who say they’ve been sexually harassed, a majority (71 percent) say the harassment came from other men. Nearly half (43 percent) of LGBTQ workers have been sexually harassed at work. Of those who have been harassed, 69 percent say the perpetrator was the same sex.
“Sexual harassment is an issue that cuts across not only gender, but also race, age and a person’s position in the organization,” the authors write. “It does not discriminate. And while #MeToo has been instrumental in raising awareness for inappropriate behavior, including violence, against women, this survey shows there’s more work to be done for all demographics.”
First, employers need to encourage workers to speak up. The survey found that 33 percent of workers don’t trust their HR department–which is one of the reasons why just 47 percent of women and 66 percent of men surveyed reported harassment.
“Changing these numbers is going to take work in building up trust and showing a commitment to listening and respect,” the authors write.
Regarding fair pay, 66 percent of the respondents say feel they are paid fairly. Broken down by gender, 72 percent of men say that, while 61 percent of women say that.
“It doesn’t matter how much fun and excitement you infuse into the work environment if people don’t think they are being fairly compensated for the value they bring to the organization,” the authors write. “As companies work toward increased fairness, adding more meaning and personalization to recognition and rewards outside of compensation will become increasingly important to motivating and retaining workers.”
Employers can also foster a better workplace culture by focusing more on work-life harmony, inclusion and belonging, growth, gratitude and recognition, according to the report. Indeed, workers recognized in the last month as opposed to those who have never been recognized by their employer are three times less likely to report feeling unsafe at work; more than twice as likely to see a path to grow in the organization; much more likely to trust executive leadership (81 percent vs. 55 percent); nearly twice as likely to trust their HR team; and much more likely to find meaning and purpose in their work (82 percent vs. 61 percent).
On the flip side, managers and other workers who have had the opportunity to give recognition in the last month are more than twice as likely to be highly engaged compared to those who’ve never recognized a colleague (60 percent vs. 27 percent). They are also nearly twice as likely to see a path to grow in the organization (64 percent vs. 34 percent).
“Tapping into employees’ desire to be seen and appreciated – and to express that gratitude toward colleagues – is perhaps the most underutilized management strategy and biggest area of opportunity for companies in the future of work,” the authors write.
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