Recently Eventus Recruitment Group has ran some polls on LinkedIn to help us gather important information regarding employees and employers.
One of the most interesting questions for me was:
“In order to be satisfied at work, which of these is most important to you?” Great question because what makes you tick could be completely different to what floats my boat.
The options we gave were:
- Competitive salary and benefits
- Positive company culture
- Good work/life balance
- Effective support and management
Let’s face it, they’re all hugely important factors when it comes to being happy in the workplace. We all have bills to pay and want to work in a positive environment where we can enjoy being at work. Of course, work/life balance is something most of us value, even more so taking the past year into account. Working with a great management team who support your development in your role also has to be up there doesn’t it?
So, what did our voters say?
The top answer with 40% of the votes was “Good work/life balance” and was a clear leader. I certainly think for those of us that have been able to work from home during the pandemic we have realised how much better we can manage our work/life balance when you take the daily commute out of the equation. We’ve seen keyworkers doing amazing things during the pandemic and many of us are more grateful for the time we have been able to spend with our family and friends while they have been keeping the country going. Employers also emphasise how work/life balance improves productivity due to happier colleagues.
Next up was “Positive company culture” with 21% of the votes and let’s face it who doesn’t want to work for a business who has great values and a positive culture. Not so many years ago this wasn’t something at the forefront of the minds of employees or businesses. Employees want to work with a business that has a vision and strong values promoting a positive culture because it inspires confidence that the business value their employees and customers. Businesses now actively promote their culture not only to attract the best candidates but also to impress their customers.
“Competitive salary and benefits” were a close third runner with 20% of the votes. We all know this is important but would you have expected it to be closer to the top? Probably 15 years ago this would’ve been top of my list followed by work/life balance. Is it a sign of the times that we don’t see this as the most important factor?
Last but not least with 19% of the votes was “Effective support and management”. With only 1% between this factor and salary this is obviously a hugely important factor. As it should be. Whether we are looking to progress in our career, ensure we do the best job we can or develop our skills we all need effective support and management from the people at the top.
For me, to see the Work/Life balance option to be so far ahead of the other three which were so close in votes demonstrates just how much we value this. Would the results have been different ten years ago? Will the answers be different again ten years from now? Does the job we do, the sector we work in, our ages, family commitments have an effect on how much we value each of the different options? I expect it does but the raw numbers give us a great insight on what’s important.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, if you can take a moment to join the conversation.
You can email Nikki directly at nikki.phillips@eventuslegal.com