Employees’ wish list: 7 important (and free) things bosses can offer

What do employees want?

The answer varies by employee, but research by a multitude of organizations reveals a collective “wish list” every boss should know.

Here are some of the most sought-after wishes and those that come up most often as unmet:

1. Take action on employee suggestions. The action might be to loop back with the employee to share appreciation for their thoughts and help them understand why you are or are not implementing their suggestion. The action is closing the feedback loop, which can be as worthwhile as implementing a suggestion an employee has. Either way you’re saying that what they shared was valuable. This will motivate them to offer more suggestions in the future.

2. Recognize their work, and show appreciation. Say “thank you” for a job well done. Reinforce specifically the behaviors you want to continue to see. At a two-way communication training recently, a woman asked whether she ought to reward and recognize someone on her team for “just doing their job.” Absolutely. Jobs don’t inspire and motivate people; leaders do.