Safety, security and personal values top employee priorities
Employees would rather have a job that provides meaning and an employer who values them as a person.
The volatile year of 2020 has caused American workers to reevaluate what they want from their employers. Many employees are putting their safety, security and personal values over money and titles, according to the Worker Value Survey conducted by WorldatWork.
“There has been a reckoning,” said Scott Cawood, CEO of WorldatWork. “The American Dream — bigger title, more pay — has been pushed aside and replaced with, ‘I want what I do to have meaning; to have a job that makes an impact, and a safe environment that values me as a whole person.”
The study of more than 5,400 working professionals uncovered significant workplace shifts and reflects the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and social justice protests. Employees value safety more than money and want to align with leaders who take a clear stance on issues in which they believe.
According to the survey, employees say:
- They are seeking greater work/life balance, even if it means less money and a lower title. Forty-two percent of respondents would take 30% less pay and a lower title to work from home and have a more balanced work schedule. One-third (33%) of men and almost half (47%) of women said they’d make this trade.
- They strongly prefer that organizations take a public stance on social issues. More than half (54%) of respondents want companies to publicly voice opinions, and one-third (33%) said they strongly prefer their employers speak out. Younger generations are the drivers for this trend. Standing for something is more important to Gen Z and Millennials (64%) than to their Boomer (38%) counterparts.
- They want their companies to ensure their safety… or they won’t go to work. Half said they will not work for companies if they don’t feel safe. Another 28% said that if they don’t feel safe, they are unlikely to work for that company.
- They want leaders whose values align with theirs. The majority (60%) said that working for a leader who shares similar social beliefs is very or extremely important. Almost one-third (29%) viewed this as somewhat important, and only 12% said it was not at all important. Almost two-thirds of millennials and Gen X respondents want to work with someone who thinks like they do.
The survey also looked at what benefits matter most to today’s professionals. Forty-five percent of respondents said health insurance was the most or second-most important benefit their company could offer, scoring 21 points higher than any other benefit.
Offering a retirement or 401K plan came in second, with 25% of respondents choosing it as their first or second-most important benefit. Flexible work schedules and the ability to work from home came in fourth and fifth, respectively.
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