In case you missed it…

Not going to lie,  when I started planning this quarter, I thought I might have gone tooooo big. 

What do employees want is such a loaded question…  

There are so many directions to go, so many things employees are asking for, so many needs that can’t be solved with just one policy or quick HR fix. 

But after weeks of writing, I’ve touched on as many employee wants and needs that I could! 

Before I get into what you may have missed, let’s do a recap of the 3 pillars of employee wants!

The 3 pillars: 

💰 Valued: Employees want to feel paid fairly, appreciated, acknowledged, and seen for who they are and what they bring to the table. 

🤝🏽 Supported: Employees want to know they are set up for success and the systems in place are meant to help not not harm them. 

✨ Inspired: Employees want to feel a spark of inspo by leaders, by vision, even by the work itself. They want their work to feel like it means something.

Now, let’s dig a bit deeper into each of these pillars and make sure you didn’t miss from hits from this quarter.

Digging into those wants: 

💰 Feeling Valued:

When you think of feeling valued, what do you think of? 

Maybe you’re thinking about things like compensation and feeling seen… 

Shocking to literally no one, employees are thinking about the same things!

This quarter, I unpacked how feeling valued shows up in everything from comp convos to motivation. 

Revisit these if you’re rethinking how your org signals value:

• The psychology of money: Why comp isn’t just about cash, it’s about identity, fairness, and power
• Employees want to feel like they matter: The everyday micro-messages that shape how seen employees feel from recognition and belonging to impact. 
• Employees want to be motivated:  What drives people today (spoiler: it’s not fear)
• How managers can motivate their team:  Real tools for sparking drive without burning people out. Bonus there’s real data from readers like you!! 

🤝🏽 Feeling Supported:

Support isn’t just about systems, oftentimes it’s about people who show up when it matters. And for most folks at work that person is your manager…

But let’s be honest, when managers are overwhelmed and under-equipped, everyone feels it.

Revisit these if you’re thinking about how employees need support: 

• Are managers the problem: A look at where the cracks really begin
• The support cycle:  Why unsupported managers can’t support anyone else
• Manager Horror Stories:  Because sometimes we need to read some real stories about how managers are behaving 
• Employees want to be treated right: What being seen, heard, supported and respected looks like.
• Better benefits to consider:  Support that extends beyond the workplace
  

✨ Feeling Inspired:

A spark of inspiration can make the difference between a work day that feels fulfilling and one that feels draining. 

From HR to employees, I explored what it means to feel re-energized by your work and where that spark has gone:

• When HR loses its spark: Burnout, disillusionment, and finding your way back
• Employees need inspo too: Why inspo can spark performance and so much more 

If you’re inclined to listen and laugh… the podcast also covered 10 different things employees want from being treated fairly at work to not having to play office politics. There were some great episodes this quarter due to my fab guests and fun convo starters! 

📣Every article, podcast, and even panic laugh this quarter pointed to the same truth: people want to do good work in places that treat them right.  

What’s next: 

I cannot believe we’re in Q3 ALREADY?

I blinked and wham bam half this year is already gone and what do I have to show for it!!!!! 

Well, a lot of fun and a few more white hairs. 

In Q3, I’m pulling back the curtain on the biggest illusion in corporate life: culture.

And no I don’t mean the swag, branded slide deck, or the empty values. 

I mean the real stuff like the unspoken norms, power dynamics, and messy middle between intention and impact. 

➡️Time for a big ole VIBE CHECK next quarter in a fun theme I’m calling the culture audit. 

More next week, until then ta ta!