Hierarchy of needs

- Have you ever been fully happy in a job when you were unsure about your future at the company? What about if you didn't think your pay was equitable to others in the same role? Can you raise a serious issue without feeling you might lose your job? These types of anxieties are common and can be huge barriers for employees resulting in distracted employees who don't reach their full potential at work. A good employee experience limits these types of distractions and enables employees to be their best selves and do their best work. That's why it's important to make sure that fundamental HR criteria is in place at your organization. Think of it in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow's hierarchy has five levels that are grouped around basic needs, psychological needs, and self-fulfillment needs. This five tier model of human needs can easily be applied to work and the needs of your employees. The ultimate goal for employees is to reach the top tier of self-actualization. This means accomplishing their full potential at work. To do this, the needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied first. You can't jump the pyramid. The basic needs at the bottom of the pyramid are feeling safe and secure at work. These are the physical, financial, and mental wellbeing that need to be satisfied. Things like equal opportunities, fair pay, work productivity, and a workspace that allows them to work efficiently and safely. Satisfying these factors are critical for your employee success. They are not just nice to haves. They're absolutely foundational. If an employee feels underpaid or unsafe at work, they will likely be distracted and their performance will suffer. So employees and prospective employees have come to expect that any worthy organization meets these basic needs. The next tier you need to consider are the psychological needs of your employees; their belonging and esteem. These are things like connection to the company's bottom line and mission, inclusive and diverse teams, healthy collaboration, a clear path of progression, mutual respect, recognition, and a sense of accomplishment. When you've satisfied all those basic and psychological needs, your employees finally have a shot at self-actualization. They have a true sense of purpose, they find meaning in their work, and it's reflected in their growth. So review your current HR systems and your employee experience. Assess whether or not you need some foundational reinforcement to build on your employee's tiers of needs. Also look to see if there may be things you think are satisfying needs, but are actually just perks. I'll give you a hint. Free snacks fall into the nice to have category, not the need to have category, if you have free snacks, but whistleblowing is discouraged, well, the free snacks don't have much real value, do they? Everybody deserves a workplace that is safe, secure, healthy, fair, and supportive. Make sure you build in your foundational blocks when crafting a stellar employee experience.