The Doyle Report: Five Things That Great Employers Offer

Meaningful Work
Do you ask your employees to grind it out everyday? Or do they tackle important assignments? Given a choice—and make no mistake workers today have options—employees want satisfying work. Yes, they will tolerate some grinding, so long as they believe that what they are tackling has significance. What is more, they want some self-determination and sense of ownership. If you don’t provide these things, prepare yourself for high turnover.

Growth Opportunities
On average, workers expect to be promoted every 18-36 months. Is that happening where you work? If not, then you likely have workers who are pining for more. Even if you cannot provide them with defined career paths, you can invest in their career development and growth. Through ongoing education, certification, training and more. Is it expensive? It’s exorbitant! But it’s cheaper in the long run than high turnover.

Inspiring Leadership
Theranos. Yahoo. Wells Fargo. Can you imagine following the leaders of these companies? If not outright lies or distortions, the employees of these organizations were expected to labor under unrealistic expectations or falsehoods. This kind of nonsense destroys morale and undermines confidence. In contrast to these organizations, there are many workplaces where leadership is bold and convincing—not to mention honest and relatable. If you’ve ever worked in such a place, you know how capable a motivated, engaged and committed workforce can be.

Collaborative Culture
While inspiring leadership is invaluable, it’s not everything. Let’s face it: most workers never come in contact with their executive leadership on a daily basis. What they do experience everyday is your corporate culture. Does yours tell the truth or labor under unrealistic expectations? Does yours inspire innovation or dismiss new or unorthodox thinking? Does it value customers or just your bottom lines? If you’re not sure, try ordering from your organization or attempt to promote an unfamiliar idea. If corporate “antibodies” blunt your advance when you do, then you have a culture problem.

Competitive Benefits
While considered table stakes, your compensation, benefits and other packages are more important than ever. This is especially true in an era when workers compare notes on employment websites and via social media. As a result, your wages, healthcare plans and retirement programs are readily visible for all to see. So are vast amounts of industry data. The average salary increase for IT workers, for example, is in the 2.1-2.3 percent range. For workers in the 90^th percentile, it’s at least 3 percent, or was in 2015. No matter how highly you think of your mission, culture or brand, you’ll lose valuable contributors if your benefits fall short.