There’s a New Hierarchy of Needs at Work for 2023

We’re two months into the year and we’ve been noticing that there is a new hierarchy of needs at work now. The past several years have forced people to adapt, evolve and change and that includes the needs of workplaces as well. 

In this article, we will share a view of new hierarchy needs at work for 2023. 

Managers may want work to be in the office but…

Many managers believe that the best work happens in the office. In an office environment, people can play off each other. Conversations can occur, ideas can spark and the connection people have with coworkers is deeper in person. 

But for many workers, they have gotten so used to working at home, that heading back into an office doesn’t seem like a necessary need for them. Because of this, employers are having to get creative and educate themselves on the new hierarchy of needs for work to encourage them back into an office environment. 

Create a community

In everything we do, we want to feel included, loved and  cared for. The exact same thing happens within an office environment. The biggest change for the hierarchy of needs at work is community. If we want employees to feel included, loved and cared for, we need to create a community that brings all three of those things together. 

A community can mean many different things for employers, but it always includes activities that align with people’s values and morals. 

Find those things and a community will blossom. 

Enhance their office space 

If employees think that they can get everything done that is required at home, it’s time to enhance their office space to encourage them back into the workplace! This means providing better technology, tools and spaces that help people do their best work. Whether that’s paid subscriptions to tools on work computers only, communal spaces for collaboration, faster internet, etc. Whatever the way, find ways to enhance office workplaces and see how it changes the office environment.

Socialize with purpose

Gone are the dreaded days of a Zoom happy hour with coworkers during the pandemic. The one where you aren’t sure if it’s mandatory or if you’re supposed to track your hours during a “seemingly” mandatory work event.

Now it’s time to have employers learn how to get their team to socialize with a purpose. Instead of only thinking of socializing as an after work event with drinks in hand, consider socializing everything apart from when an employee is at their desk. 

Think about common spaces like the front office, lounge area and kitchen space. Do these spaces encourage collaboration and deeper connections? You could try larger couches to encourage more people sitting together when they’re on break. A coffee maker in the office to promote spending 5 minutes drinking coffee together. And, what about a large kitchen table area to help employees spend time together while eating their meals. 

You can also mention that employees shouldn’t eat at their desks. Not only is it not healthy to eat and work at the same time, but employees need to be encouraged to actually take a break – eat their meals away from technology and spend some time with coworkers laughing and discussing non-work related topics.

The three types of workers.

When we think about how work has changed since COVID-19, one thing that pops up a lot are the three different types of workers. You may not have considered this before, but based on people’s roles within a company, they will be put into one of three categories. 

Anchored employee. 

An anchored employee is someone who needs a designated workplace. Their role involves a computer, headset, a phone, etc. Different tools that are best utilized within an office environment. 

Untethered employee.

The untethered employee is someone who can do their job from anywhere but requires them to be in the office several times a week. When in the office, they don’t need a designated workplace and can utilize common areas or “hot desks.” 

Destination employee. 

A destination employee is someone who can work from anywhere and comes into the office for meetings, workplace events and problem solving. 

Reconsidering your office space. 

Now that you know what your employees are after and the three different types of employees, you can switch up your office to reflect this new knowledge. Consider putting different departments together like “neighborhoods”. This will allow collaboration while encouraging workplace productivity. 

There are so many ways to reconsider your office space to get the most out of the space and the people who work within in. And, don’t forget to get your team members’ opinions! They are the ones doing the work and probably have an idea or two on how to better utilize the space. 

If you’re looking for more HR related articles, check out our blog! Feel free to contact one of our benefits advisors as well and we can point you in any direction you’re looking for.