We pooled and analyzed nearly 10,000 survey responses that tackled that very question, and then sliced results by age and gender. All respondents were asked to rank the Six Dimensions of Employee Engagement (descriptions below), giving a 1 to the dimension they value most, a 2 to the next most valued dimensions, etc.

 
THE WHOLE ENCHILADA
Looking at all 9,688 survey responses, Life-Work Balance and Trust snatched the #1 and #2 spots:

AGE MATTERS
Employees of all ages value Trust and Life-Work Balance most, but their prioritization differs slightly. Employees under 40 rank Life-Work Balance #1, while employees 40+ rank Trust #1. In addition, Development is ranked higher (#4) for employees under 40 than for employees 40+ (#6). 

 

WHAT WOMEN WANT
Women and men both want Life-Work Balance, but women value it more. Women rank Life-Work Balance #1, while men rank it #2. Otherwise, men and women are pretty similar in terms of what they value at work:

SO WHAT?
No matter what age or gender your employees are, it’s not the money that brings them to work every day. Although Rewards – pay, perks, and pats on the back – are important, they’re not as valued as Trust and Life-Work Balance. Employees across the board want to work in a trusting environment, with high levels of integrity and respect. They also want a flexible workplace that allows them to balance their career and their personal or family life. Options like telecommuting, flexible hours, or compressed work weeks are extremely valuable for all employees, especially women and employees under 40.

To learn more about what it takes to engage employees, check out our Next Companies  page.

To see how you stack up as a manager in the Six Dimensions of Employee Engagement, take the managers’ assessments  on our website.



 

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