What Employees Really Care About in 2025
Everyone likes a snack, pizza, or food brought in, that’s fun stuff. But beyond happy hours, off-site escape rooms, throwing axes and beer/wine & company swag, there are key things that your staff really want. And, to remain the employer of choice you’ll want to make sure that you can deliver some/all of these.
As we continue to age, younger generations look at personal needs from their unique perspectives. And, while I am an expert on boiling down the differences between five generations, this is about a combination of all employees’ needs and wants. Get this right, you’ll attract and retain staff, grow productivity and collaboration, plus grow business and a culture of trust. Trust, that’s the thing that you want; we all want. And it’s getting tougher to find.
Respect
As kids, we didn’t always get respect. As adults, we need it, crave it, and demand it in a professional manner. In my vast corporate experience and 15 years of professional speaking on some larger stages, folks just like you have told me and audiences how they have “one foot out the door” because their manager does not respect them. Leaders who exhibit this behavior lose critical talent to other organizations. This costs time and money.
“Treat everyone with respect and kindness. Period. No exceptions.” — Kiana Tom
Supportive Managers
You’ve had both supportive and disruptive managers. No doubt which one you prefer. I’ve learned that crappy managers are often rewarded and kept on at the despair of staff. Sometimes, higher ups don’t realize these managers suck big-time. Other times, this is common knowledge and results, and more sales or productivity are placed at a higher priority than employees.
“Having a bad boss isn’t your fault. Staying with one is.”- Nora Denzel
Flexibility
Out of the pandemic came flexibility and with it, a new way of working for millions. Now, hybrid work is in vogue with employees working in the office 2-3 times a week or more. My non-scientific studies that again come from folks like you at conferences and corporations I present at show me that people like working from home. Some like a hybrid option and others, dig being in the office five days a week. Depending on role and staff preference, flexibility pays off.
Trust/Transparency
You might be thinking “duh” to this idea, but there is a new wrinkle on trust in the workplace. If you’re a boomer or Gen X you have dealt with this for decades. However, Gen Z and Millennials have a different perspective. They demand it! The want, need and will leave a job quicker than past generations if T&T are not part of the corporate culture. Yep, they’ll split, leaving you with gaping holes as Millennials are the #1 generation in the U.S. workforce. Getting this right is essential to attracting and retaining talent with these two generations who hold trust and transparency in high regard.
“Earn trust, earn trust, earn trust. Then you can worry about the rest.” – Seth Godin
Fair Pay
A nice place to end my list as it is a top priority for most employees. Not all, but most. I hear many stories at conferences from women and minorities that know for a fact that they are being paid less then their counterparts with the same or less experience in the same position at the same company. I cannot imagine how demeaning this is, but I know that it does three things:
- It really pisses people off.
- Talent that you hired is looking to split because they know that they are not receiving fair pay.
- Yikes. Word gets out and spreads. If you want to attract less people for open positions, make sure you don’t pay all employees equally. Otherwise, be fair and as transparent as possible. People insist on this and getting it right is good for everyone.
I love hearing from you. You leave through-provoking replies to my posts, and I appreciate it. Please consider sharing in your network. And as always, I can be reached at scott@scottlesnick.com
Continue the Leadership Conversation
The ideas in this article are part of a broader conversation about leadership, employee retention, workplace AI, and organizational change. Scott helps organizations across healthcare, government, manufacturing, financial services, technology, human resources, safety, early childhood education, and professional associations develop stronger leaders and build more engaged workplaces.
Explore Scott’s keynote programs:
- Leadership Speaker – Build stronger leaders, improve communication, and create high-performing teams.
- Employee Retention Keynote Speaker – Strengthen engagement, reduce turnover, and build workplaces where employees want to stay.
- Workplace AI Speaker – Help leaders and employees prepare for the future of work while keeping people at the center of organizational success.
- Change Management Speaker – Equip leaders with practical strategies for navigating disruption and leading organizational change with confidence.
