The Future Of Work Has Changed

Here’s how your company can stay competitive against the war for talent

In a hot job market, we’re seeing companies step up their game and offer more elaborate perks to attract and retain talent post-pandemic.  
 
But very often, employees are craving the emotions behind what they believe the benefits and perks will create in their lives - not the external perk itself. Instead of thinking about what perks are popular at this moment - start thinking about what emotions your team wants to be experiencing each day. 
 

Does your company offer the feeling of freedom? Do they offer the feeling of connection with other team members? Does your company offer the feeling of purpose and being part of something bigger than themselves? The more you creatively tap into these human needs that we all have, the more likely you are to retain and attract talent post-pandemic, regardless of your budget or resources.
 
Here are a few steps to get started: 

1. Deep Dive Into What Your Team Actually Wants

 Employees' needs and wants are constantly changing, and so it’s important to be taking stock on a consistent basis. We recommend sending out an anonymous employee survey quarterly that taps deeper into what employees are craving in their work/life environment, and even more importantly - why? Go beyond multiple choice answers and checkboxes - ask open-ended questions as well to receive more of the story behind why team members are craving certain things.  

2. Cater to the Emotions that Employees Want to Experience

With so much change in the last 18 months, employees likely experienced many different emotions on a daily basis - some positive, and some more negative. Very often, it’s not the external item that we’re craving, but how we believe that the external thing will make us feel. Do your employees want to feel more free? Do they want to feel more fulfilled? Do they want more connections with their team members? Do they want to be less stressed? Getting to the core emotions that team members are craving allows you to offer creative benefits and perks that satisfy that need on a deeper level than just offering.  

3. Amplify Appreciation + Recognition

In our research throughout the U.S., we’ve found that many employees crave recognition from the person directly above their manager. Of course, manager and peer recognition are important, but encouraging leadership to take time to share appreciation notes and create ways to consistently recognize people on the team can be powerful. Of course, the more personalized these notes and recognition can be, the better. Everyone wants to feel like they matter, so incorporating genuine appreciation and recognition in weekly team meetings or town halls taps into our primal need as human beings to feel connected and important.  

4. Customize Benefits and Perks to Different Personalities

Different personalities will get different value out of benefits and perks - and it’s important to customize them to the differences in your employees as much as possible. For example, if you’re offering interactive mental wellness or personal development workshops, start to think about how you can make them most valuable to introverts, extroverts, and everything in between. Some team members may enjoy watching a replay after and learning on their own, while others thrive on connecting with their team members in real-time and find the most value in that. If you’re unsure of the different learning styles/the personality spread across your team, add these questions into your survey from step 1, and it’ll give you a great baseline to begin. Sending out a survey after the workshop, or simply asking for feedback in one on ones or directly after the workshops are great as well.  

Michelle Wax is the Founder of American Happiness Project, a movement across 50 states focused on creating more joy in the everyday. Wax works with top companies and schools across the U.S. to help teams thrive in uncertainty, use stress to their advantage, and create positive mindsets through workshops and programs to build community and connection. She produced the American Happiness Documentary, released in February 2021 and also works privately with individuals and groups. Prior to founding American Happiness Project — Wax founded two companies in the food industry, which she sold in 2019. Connect Michelle Wax