Contrary to popular belief, staff aren’t that bothered about flexible working, convenient locations or working for market leaders.
A study by consultancy Work shows that employees would rather have open communication at work, be rewarded for exceptional performance, and see some investment in their personal development.
The preliminary results were released at the CIPD conference in Harrogate last week.
Simon Howard, co-founder of Work, said the study, which questioned 505 employees, shows that HR should focus more on good communication, rewarding success, and making jobs intrinsically interesting.
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Less focus should be placed on flexible working, flexible pay and benefits, pace and stress, he said.
The study also highlights the importance of recognising that different people want different things. Lower paid staff are generally more keen on flexible hours, while Londoners are less worried about travelling times to work than those in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
The full report is due to be released next month.