Blog 08 - Employees 'Needs and Wants' through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Employees 'Needs and Wants' through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 

In today's workplace, an employee's requirements and desires range from a modest paperclip to good recognition within and beyond the firm. According to Amanda et al. (2022), the distinction between "wants" and "needs" is straightforward. "Wants" are things you want to have regardless of their monetary worth. Whereas "wants" are things that you must have in order to live, do, or achieve something, a "need" is a basic human requirement, and a "desire" is a method of meeting that need.

i.e. Mr. X ‘need’ a Laptop, He ‘wants’ an iMac or a HP

Needs are clearly being defined by Abraham Maslow (1908 – 1970) in his studies of Hierarchy of needs.

       Maslow's Hierarchy of needs

 

 

Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Fallatah and syed ,2018)

Maslow's Pyramid of Requirements illustrates how a person's needs evolve throughout time. Employers may plan the future of their company's human resources management by mapping it to the Maslow's hierarchy of needs. 

 

Figure 2: Mapping Maslow’s Pyramid to employee work lifecycle (Author Developed)

 

 According to Kishi (2012) it is stated that there are five levels of Needs and those are explained below

1.    Physiological/ Basic Needs

The fundamental physiological necessities are presumably self-evident—these are the things we need to survive. Physiological requirements include the following:

·         Food

·         Water

·         Breathing

·         Shelter

A new employee at a company like as Interns simply meet day-to-day fundamental necessities and work with great motivation as they gain new skills and value themselves.

 2.    Safety Needs                                                                                   

The requirement for security and safety takes precedence. People crave control and order in their life, therefore the need for safety and security plays a big role in these activities.

Some of the basic security and safety needs include:

·         Financial security.

·         Health and wellness.

·         Safety against accidents and injury.

Moving up the Maslow's hierarchy, employees become more conscious of what they do, more accountable, and concerned about their financial situation. Job satisfaction and job security

At this level, employees are concerned with more than just their immediate needs, but also with the future. These employees might be full-time employees, such as junior executives.

         3.  Belongingness Needs

These include such things as love, acceptance, and belonging. At this level, the need for emotional relationships drives human behavior. Some of the things that satisfy this need include:

·         Friendships

·         Romantic attachments

·         Family

·         Social groups

·         Community groups

According to Maslow, it is critical that employees avoid difficulties like as anxiety, loneliness, and depression through camaraderie, love, and belongingness. Employees at this level are mature and self-motivated to go on to the next stage of their lives, such as marriage and starting a family. These personnel might be top executives, for example.

    4. Self Esteem Needs

At this moment, gaining the respect and appreciation of others becomes increasingly crucial. People want to do things and then have their efforts acknowledged.

Employees at this level strive for advancement and recognition both within and outside of the business. Employees at this level are well-experienced, self-motivated, and highly proficient via experience. These employees can be classified as junior managers, for example.

    5.    Self-Actualization Needs

Self-actualizing People are self-aware, concerned with personal improvement, seek to reach their full potential in the best way possible, are less concerned with the views of others, and are engaged in realizing their potential.

Employees who have overcome the desire for self-esteem, such as top managers, directors, and CEOs, will work for self-satisfaction and societal recognition with all of their talents.

 

It is critical for a business to have a thorough understanding of its employees' requirements and desires as they progress through the work lifecycle, which might vary from level to level and from person to employee. It will assist the organization in planning for the future and keeping employees motivated, which will assist the organization in reducing employee turnover and increasing employee job satisfaction where the company maintains a skilled and motivated staff which helps to increase productivity and is also an asset to the company rather than an expense.

Reference 

Amanda, T.W., Kar, S.K., Menon, V., Ransing, R., Shoib, S. (2022) Is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Applicable During the COVID-19 Pandemic?. DOI: 10.1177/02537176211060435

Fallatah, R.H.M., Syed, J. (2018) A critical review on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-67741-5_2

Kishi, H., Ito, K., Sugiura, S., Konoshita, E., (2012) A Study of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Decision-Making DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-29977-3_9