Ensuring Attractive Jobs and Workplaces for the Employees
Introduction – Context and Purpose of the Study
For keeping the attractiveness of the jobs and workplaces, employers should design strategies to determine the employees to feel that the workplace in which they are answer their needs and keeps up with their dynamic lifestyle. In the current socio – economic environment, maintaining employees satisfied at their jobs implies both a professional and a social approach. This paper proposes to identify human resources strategies for satisfying the employees’ needs, for maintaining jobs stimulating and flexible, allowing a balance between their work hours and their free time, and for keeping the employees directly interested in the financial performances of the company they work for, by proposing the company shares.
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Changes in the Employees’ Needs and Perceived Attributes of Attractive Jobs
In the current times we are living in, employees are facing a varied spectrum of changes, affecting their social lives but also the way they perceive their jobs. Scholars note that employees have become increasingly concerned about aspects such as job security (considering the economic imbalances that impact the entire world as a result of the economic crisis), maintaining, however, their focus on their professional development (Butler & Waldroop, 1999, p. 7). Likewise, as the world changes, the work follows the same course, people become more and more interested about having a flexible work program, so that they can balance their personal and professional life (Forsyth & Debruyene, 2007, p. 113).
Strategy 1 – Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Maintaining Attractive Workplaces
In maintaining attractive jobs and workplaces, employers should look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which indicates the necessities of people on various levels of human development. Applying this approach on employees, employers can determine how they can maintain the jobs of their employees attractive, by studying employees’ necessities (Kroth, 2006, p. 5).
Because safety is a human need and because employees search for stability in these turbulent times (Jerome, 2013, p. 42), a strategy of maintaining the workplaces attractive for the employees is by restating them that their jobs are safe. However, the feeling of having a safe job solely determines the employees to be comfortable at their jobs, not precisely to find their jobs attractive.
Feeling of belonging, feeling surrounded by nice co-workers, by people who share the same values fulfill the love/belonging needs, which are also included in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Jerome, 2013, p. 42). Employees should use the workplace as a tool for determining employees to bond, to create relationships, so that they would feel good to come at work and meet their colleagues every working day. Team buildings, employees’ parties, games, contests or other corporate actions are several tactics that employers can make use of for generating the spirit of belonging for the employees.
Moreover, for generating the feeling of self – esteem, confidence, the employees need to know that they are respected and appreciated (Jerome, 2013, p. 42) for their work and verbal appreciation or financial benefits would determine the employees to consider that they have the respect of others, feeling good with their jobs and at their workplace.
For the employees that have reached the self – actualization level from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, employers should seek to involve them in creative problem – solving situations, stimulating their ingenuity by proposing engaging, dynamic and spontaneous projects (Jerome, 2013, p. 42).
Therefore, applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model is a human resources strategy that professionals should use in the current professional context, as it will determine them to feel safe, as belonging to their workplace, esteemed and respected for their work and engaged in stimulating activities. All these create an attractive workplace for the employees.
Strategy 2 – Applying Flexible Working Program for Maintaining Jobs Attractive
Balancing personal and professional life is an objective that people follow, in order to optimize as much as possible their free time. Employers are already approaching a flexible schedule strategy, proposing employees various solutions, so that they to feel comfortable with their working hours. As such, employers propose either telecommuting or working from home, either coming at the office earlier in order for them to leave earlier from work, either come and go whenever the employees please, as long as the work is done (“Flexible Work Options Guide”, n.d., p. 3).
This strategy is equally appreciated by employees who have families and children, as well as by the younger ones, who want to benefit at the maximum of their free time, engaging in personal activities. This creates an attractive workplace and moreover, one that does not allow for employee burnout, as it implies workers’ personal recovery and re-energizing their resources.
Strategy 3 – Increasing Employees’ Financial Resources for Maintaining Attractive Workplaces
Another strategy, included in the Lisbon strategy, refers to increasing employees financial resources, in order to improve the financial attractiveness of the workplace. In this situation the labor costs are not impacted in any way, because the financial resources that the employee have access to are part of the company’s share. As such, as a HR strategy to determine employees to feel motivated and attracted by their jobs, they are offered profit – sharing schemes and the allocation of shares to employees at reduced price, or even free of charge (Housset, 2008, p. 19).
Under this strategy, companies are assuring the involvement of the employees in the organizations’ wellbeing, their direct commitment and interest towards the matters concerning the financial situation of the company and the firm remains attractive for them.
Conclusion
Although we are living in turbulent times, when job security is no longer a guarantee, employees still need to fill stimulated by their workplace, in order to contribute to the progress of the companies they work for. Human resources specialists propose strategies meant to determine employees to consider their jobs attractive. This paper has identified and analyzed three of these strategies: applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for identifying and satisfying the employee’s needs, proposing a flexible working program and attributing employees company’s shares. Further research should continue exploring how do managers capitalize on maintaining the job and workplace attractive for the employees.
References
Butler, T & Waldroop, J, 1999. “Job sculpting. The art of retaining your best people”. Harvard Business Review.
Flexible work options guide. For staff non – Union employees, n.d. HR Services. The University of Chicago.
Forsyth, S & Polzer – Debruyine, A, 2007. “The organizational pay – offs for perceived work – life balance support”. Asia Pacific Journal of Human resources. Vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 113 – 123.
Housset, B, 2008. Attractive workplace for all: Contributions to the Lisbon Strategy. Dublin. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
Jerome, N, 2013. “Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory; impacts and implications on the organizational culture, human resource and employee’s performance”. International Journal of Business and Management Invention. Vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 39 – 45.
Kroth, M, 2007. “Maslow – move aside! A heuristical model for leaders in career and technical education”. Journal of Industrial Education. Vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 5 – 36.
