In the modern-day workplace, many employees often feel they are undercompensated for their time, job duties, and the amount of effort they input to their work environment. In contract, employers often feel that employees should be pleased with their current salary package and benefits. As a result, there is a disconnect between employees and employers of an organization.
The Employees Who Lack…
Organizations often encourage open communication among everyone, regardless of their title or position. However, employees often find themselves unable to be brave and bold enough to take the initiative upon themselves to approach the disconnect and resolve it accordingly. Among employees who feel they lack the compensation they deserve:
- Approximately 57% of employees across the United States believe they are paid significantly less than the value they bring to their work environment.
- Glassdoor conducted a survey. The results of that survey stated that 45% of employees do feel that they are being paid fairly and are afraid to ask for their fair share.
- The majority of employees feel they should receive at least 25% more salary pay than they currently make.
- Women feel they are paid even more unfairly than men, even for the same amount of work and the same job title.
These statistics highlight only a small amount of people who have admitted to surveys or studies that they are not receiving adequate compensation for their role. Almost one fifth of all employees chose to not speak about their pay in fear of their employer finding out. Likely, this would never happen as most surveys and studies are closed off and not reported to the employers of those who participate in them. Nonetheless, it is an ongoing issue.
Why Employers Dwell On Giving More
Employees do not feel that their employers are generous enough with them. However, it cannot be the employer’s part (at least not completely). In fact, employers may choose to not be generous enough with their employees for a few reasons.
The lack of resources is preventing them. Oftentimes, employees find themselves asking for more resources and compensation than is currently available for the employer’s disposal. This could be due to budget constraints or other limitations that prevent employers from being able to offer a greater deal of support or assistance to their employees.
The work environment is too competitive at this time.Some workplaces have a culture of competition. This encourages employees to outperform others, as they hope to receive an additional benefit such as monetary rewards in the form of a percentage or flat amount. This can lead employers to appear less generous with employees, as they are limited on what they are allowed to deliver as handouts.
Employees lack motivation. Employees are often less inclined to be motivated unless there is something at stake. This leaves employers to being less inclined to want to offer employers anything extra. When this is the caveat, employers may choose to focus their time and compensation on their own career advancement that to offer employees the opportunity to earn additional bonuses.
The trust is lacking or nonexistent. Employers can often second guess the idea of being generous with employees because they simply do not trust them to do good. This could be due to past experiences, a lack of communication, or the inability for them to be transparent in the workplace.
Though these are but a few of the reasons, there are still a number of different facts that contribute to why employers may not be more generous with their employees as you would expect them to be. Regardless of the issues at hand, employers should still take into account that their team members want to be valued, appreciated, and recognized the amount of effort and energy that they constantly put into their job.
The Solution
So, how could employers consider being more generous with employees? There are several ways in which this can be done. None of which are too far out of left field.
First, employers should consider offering competitive salaries and benefits from the moment a new hire begins their job. This is one of the most important and relevant ways to be generous towards employees. Offer them a competitive salary and additional benefits package. Include health insurance, retirement benefits, bonuses, and even other perks as this will set the tone for how employees view their (new) employer.
Provide opportunities for professional development. Employees value the opportunity to grow their careers through professional development. This can be accomplished by empowering them through training and education programs, mentorship opportunities, and other resources that aid employees in improve their skills in order to advance their careers and impress their bosses in the field.
Be sure to recognize and appreciate employees for all the big and little things they do. Employers can show appreciation for employees’ hard work and constant contributions by recognizing them publicly, as well as privately. Examples of this include employee of the month awards, shoutouts via social media platforms or in company newsletters. It may also include recognition during meetings. Personalized thank you notes are also a way to exhibit this.
Employees value flexible work arrangements and schedules. Many employees value the concept of working solely from home or through a hybrid approach. Employers can offer this type of flexibility for the hard work brought forth by employees. If this is simply unattainable due to company policies or procedures, consider giving your employees a greater amount of freedom in person. This can be in the form of extended lunch breaks or allowing them to take some free time throughout their workday to de-stress and decompress.
Though compensation is the single largest way to be generous, employees also highly value something else – a positive workspace. Employers can be generous to hard-working employees by ensuring there is a positive work environment. This can also ensure that there is a positive work-life balance. Additionally, this can foster a supportive company culture and provide opportunities for socializing and allow employees to build on team-building skills.
Closing Thoughts
Generosity can go a long way, especially in the workplace. Employers may find themselves with a bit of hesitation, but this way of (work) life can have a profound positive impact on the organization and the employees within it. By not holding back from creating a sense of generosity, organizations can improve employee retention, productivity, and the overall performance of each employee, all while encouraging a positive, inclusive work environment
