People have two types of needs: material and spirit. To mitigate material needs, it is necessary to have food, clothing, live in a suitable place, have money to pay for the education of children and to meet minimum levels of well-being. However, the needs of spirit are often not covered in the human being: being the owners of our own destiny, finding encouragement to what we do at work and in our personal life (friends, family, love).
Today's society is characterized by emphasizing and pursuing material needs in exchange for often forgetting the needs of spirit.
Every day we live materially better, the products we buy are better, comfort is greater. However wealth should not be an end but only a means to achieve other more important goals in life (Aristotle). That is why there are very important values in organizations: recognition of work, communication, fair treatment, training of people and sense of work, which constitute the parameters of a good working environment and a large part of the needs of spirit.
Many employees may have the necessary skills to do their jobs, but they may not be operating at their best because they are not in a pleasant environment.
The modern business fabric is clear that the most important asset of any company is its human factor. It also seems clear that the man who works has ceased to be a money-generating machine. Based on these premises, managers must take care of and maximize this asset by implementing a favorable work environment for employees in the company. Clearly, there are as many ways to satisfy workers as there are numbers of them. But it is not about the management team inventing a thousand different ways of meeting the needs and desires of each individual, since a series of common patterns of behavior in the collective of workers can be distinguished when analyzing the needs of spirit.
It has been proven that the foundations of a good working environment are related to the following parameters: managerial quality, job satisfaction, reconciliation of work with family life, professional career and, to a lesser extent, benefits of a social nature.
Management quality.
This is, without a doubt, the most relevant aspect. The success of a partial or total company project depends on the leadership of the general management and the management team, who must transmit enthusiasm and create good relationships with honesty, respect and loyalty, adapting to the skills and emotions of their employees.
Likewise, the latter have to perceive that those who head the company intend to achieve the objectives set by the organization and not their personal goals, which recognize the worker's right to be wrong sometimes when they delegate to him, allow him to make decisions and show interest For his job.
The managerial role must be based on values and ethical commitment. Actively influences, among others, personal treatment, delegation of responsibilities, recognition and communication:
- The person always expects to receive a good deal from the management of the company, its direct managers and their coworkers. A good general manager must bet on a horizontal structure in the organization chart of the company that facilitates the delegation of responsibilities. In this way, it fosters the initiative of the person who takes risks and manages his own work making the appropriate decisions, which is key to achieving the objectives.Anyone likes to be recognized for their work, either with money or without he. Money is a very important motivating factor and the employee must be paid fairly for his work, but money is not necessary to congratulate him on a good result; And the same happens when it comes to advising and teaching him when he makes mistakes. Communication occurs in two aspects:the corporate one, through which the worker is informed and knows the mission of the company, its organization, financial situation and future plans; and on a day-to-day basis, to achieve good upward, downward and horizontal communication so that the employee perceives an open-door policy that allows him: To go to any person in charge with the utmost confidence to expose them to any problems they may have or to carry out Any suggestion, and also have the confidence and security that what you present will be taken into account. That the employee knows the opinion that their managers have about their work. That the employee perceives the usefulness of their work, also transmitted by their Responsible: The employee perceives that the organization and its direct managers thank him for his work.Management quality is associated with the fulfillment of the company's social responsibilities. There are internal responsibilities with the workers themselves, such as those discussed above. But companies also have commitments to shareholders who contribute capital, to customers who buy products, to their suppliers and to the environment. The company must be a help to the community and not a burden.
Satisfaction in the workplace.
A high percentage of employees do not occupy the position that would correspond to them according to their preparation and desire, which causes their demotivation. Sometimes the position is great because they do not have adequate training, which causes anxiety in the worker. Or, conversely, people with knowledge and skills superior to the position they occupy. In addition, there are other non-motivating factors: there may be a bad work climate, or low pay, or lack of recognition. Also stress and cope with a routine task.
Safety and working conditions are also sometimes related to this parameter. The space, lighting, heating, air conditioning, ergonomics and the absence of elements harmful to health (noise, smoke, gases, dust…) are very important; the employee must return to his home in the same health conditions with which he began his day.
Reconciliation of work with family life.
Society is increasingly demanding the solution of this problem.
In the XXI century there is a new social and labor reality in which the two spouses work and the availability of their time outside of work is scarce, which causes:
- Lack of time for the education and care of children and the care of the elderly. Progressive and threatening decrease in the birth rate as a result of parents not wanting to acquire the commitment to care for more children and their education.
The problem is important since the family is the backbone of a balanced society and the children of today are the human capital of the society of tomorrow. Hence the importance of companies installing conciliation programs since non-conciliation causes job dissatisfaction, mental illnesses, lack of attitude and commitment of workers, as well as organizational losses. Conciliation programs require basic features such as:
- Combine the hours of the company with the hours of the children's schools. Flexible working hours. Possibility of part-time work and shared employment. Leave of leave. Flexibility in the way of working: satellite work places, tele- work, job rotation, etc. Lights-out programs Own services or subsidies for nurseries and child and elderly care All this aimed at parents having to have time to be with their children, since in addition to the need to enjoying the family, the education of the children is the full responsibility of the parents and the kindergartens or other centers, whether public or private, cannot replace them in this task.
An economically globalized society, where it is continually proclaimed that the success of management is based on customer care and satisfaction, quality towards it, should realize that this concept becomes even more important if it is about care and quality towards children.
But investing enough time in the children, educating and caring for them at all times, also implies giving up and giving up on the part of the parents. Without this, conciliation programs and aid legislation enacted by States to solve this problem are worthless.
Career.
It allows the employee to overcome his professional challenge, both in the field of knowledge and in that of his promotion. The company, to the extent of its possibilities, must have training programs, in order to professionalize its workers and enhance their intellectual capital. Training is an investment, not an expense.
Social benefits.
This parameter, although less important than the previous ones, can also affect the climate. It refers to services such as canteen, daycare (increasingly in demand), study scholarships for employees' children, celebrations, access to company shares, flexibility of hours, pension plans, various awards and competitions, life insurance, transportation to the company, promotion of sports activities, financial loans with advantages over those of the market and installation of rest areas, among others.
