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Benefits to Differentiate: Purpose, Engagement, and Professional Development

Knowledge Center / Blog

Benefits to Differentiate: Purpose, Engagement, and Professional Development

By The Employer Group - Sep 28, 2018

In today’s transient labor market, employers need to find a way to meaningfully differentiate themselves beyond wages and standard benefits. Granted, wages and benefits, like health and dental insurance, are typically a driving force when employees choose an employer, but they’re challenging and costly to differentiate.

Unemployment is low, most people who want a job have one, and voluntary resignations are at an all-time high. This illustrates a market where employers must develop meaningful reasons for employees to engage and commit. Other “benefits” employees may find valuable, and prove to be cost-effective investments for employers to build their employment brand, include:

  1. A Defined Purpose. Employees are more committed to an organization, and their role, when they understand the greater picture. Give employees a purpose and a reason to engage. A call center representative isn’t only answering phones, his impact is on the customer experience to influence the bottom line. One is a task; the other’s a purpose.
  2. Tailored Engagement. Understanding employees’ engagement drivers—what makes them most successful at work—will allow employers to understand their motivators and passions. Find a way, where possible, to incorporate those drivers into their job. If someone loves data, is there a way to develop a project for them to work with it?
  3. A Commitment to Work-life Balance. Employees spend a lot of time at work, and committing to a culture where work stays at work builds a more productive workforce. Employees given the time to decompress and get away from work are typically stronger contributors when they return to the office. Plus, employers who respect an employee’s time away from the office have the respect returned in forms of commitment, satisfaction, and engagement.
  4. Investment in Professional Development. Employees typically look for an organization that will help them meet their goals and develop their skills. Professional development can have many faces, and no two employees’ ideals look the same; it may be mentorship, certifications, upward mobility, added responsibilities, or something altogether different. Employers who invest in their employees’ professional development see improved performance and increased satisfaction.
  5. Recognized Contributions. Call out a job well done, highlight positive contributions, or just say thank you. Employees who get their efforts recognized feel greater purpose, engagement, and commitment to an organization. And it need not cost anything.

The above list requires little to no monetary investment, but can build greater satisfaction than something that’s more costly. They’re based on building an organization that invests in an employee’s satisfaction, where each employee has a tailored experience that gives them reasons to commit, and allows organizations to build a stronger employer brand, ready to compete in the new labor market.

Contact us if you are interested in developing and sustaining a committed and productive workforce!

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