How to Apply Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in the Workplace

Have you ever wondered why some people are so much more engaged and satisfied at work than others? In a quarterly survey of 15,000 workers conducted by Gallup, only 32% of full and part-time employees were engaged at work.

To understand what drives employee engagement, we turned to a well-known model for human psychology – Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

In 1943, Abraham Maslow published his famous theory on human motivation in which he describes a 5-level hierarchy of needs that are essential to individual well-being and success:  

• Physiological needs 
• Safety needs
• Belonging & social needs
• Esteem needs
• Self-actualization

Each of these needs must be fulfilled to enable individuals to flourish and succeed in their lives.  

So...

How does this relate to the workplace?

Employers are struggling to understand how to address disengagement. To get to the baseline of this issue, we first need to understand the people we're trying to lead. In this article, we'll share how we've applied the concept of the hierarchy of needs to the workplace and created a guide for employers to use when examining their workplace experience and looking for new ways to improve it.

You can also skip straight to the Hierarchy of Workplace Needs Report.

Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to the Workplace 

When it comes to the workplace, it is important to remember that employees aren't just people who show up for an eight-hour shift. They're human beings with needs and desires that extend beyond the walls of the office.

This is especially true in today's modern workforce, where the line between work and life has become increasingly blurred and employees find themselves in vastly different work environments from even a decade ago.

We've created a workplace hierarchy of needs to help employers better understand the different tiers of employee needs and how to address them.

• Physiological needs refer to a base level of physical requirements in order for employees to feel comfortable.
• For instance, proper ventilation that ensures clean air circulation can make employees feel more relaxed because they're in a fresh, healthy environment. 
• Safety needs are next in line and include things like having a secure place to work and not being physically harmed. 
• In the workplace, meeting safety needs can look like employers sharing educational materials during flu season or mandating office safety training during onboarding. When these types of things happen, employees feel safe and there is an increase in trust between employers and employees.
• Social needs involve interactions with other people. 
• For example, an employee may need to interact with other people in meaningful ways in order to feel connected or valued by them. 
• Esteem needs are another important factor in how people think about themselves and how they perceive their job performance.
• When esteem needs are met in the workplace, employees feel like they are recognized for their expertise and accomplishments and, as a result, they feel respected.
• Self-actualization is the highest level of need - it involves establishing goals and working towards them with passion and commitment.
• This happens within the workplace when employees have the support to reach their full potential. Self-actualization is not a linear process, so typically employers nurture this journey by guiding the way. For example, they allow employees to discover new tools and resources and encourage skill development through new projects and clear feedback.

So, at the end of the day what does this tell us?

In short: when your employees are satisfied with their work experience and feel supported by their employer in different ways, they will be more engaged in their work—and that means better results for everyone!

And there are workplace applications that help employers accomplish this. 

For example, mobile employee apps fit the bill for satisfying all 5 employee needs. 

How does that work? At every touchpoint in the employee experience, these tools can help provide the seamless connectivity employers need to deliver services that support their people. 

Yes, there are still plenty of people who have a traditional 9-to-5 job, but many others work remotely or on a flexible schedule. The tools you have in place for your employees today to reach their full potential, inspire creativity, spark collaboration, and sustain productivity are key to sustaining flexible workplaces and agile work cultures, meeting employees where they are at every step of their journey - regardless of location or situation.

How to Create a Workplace Employees Celebrate 

As workplace veterans, we know that employees want to do their best work on the job. We also know that they need a certain amount of support in order to feel comfortable, safe, and motivated in their work environment.

But what if you could make sure your employees are getting exactly what they need, wherever they are?

This was the motivation behind our "Hierarchy of Workplace Needs” report. In this report, we dive deep into the hierarchy of workplace needs—physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization— explaining how each one impacts employee satisfaction and productivity, and how tried and trusted technologies are tackling these challenges. Download the report today to help you strategically approach your employee experience programs this year and beyond.