Need Excellent Employees? The Maslow Theory Is Your Guide

Though the Maslow Needs Hierarchy is apparent intheir main desire is to gain attention and respect
several areas of life, in none of these is it morefrom those around them. They gain this attention
prevalent than in the business world. With the manyand respect by providing quality work and maintaining
and varied stages of life that different people are in,excellent relationships with other employees. Their
there is a much greater concern about the possibilitycompetitive drive allows them to excel at their jobs
of conflict in business. While the manager of aand any kind of workplace competition increases
department may have achieved the stage ofquality performance and workplace cohesion.
self-actualization and has a family, his/her entry levelEmployees that have reached the self-actualization
worker may only be at the cusp of securing theirstage are generally very useful employees as well.
first apartment.They tend to stay focused on the job in front of
The enormous difference amid workers of variousthem, and they also have a greater sense of their
stages of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is most readilyself-worth, and thus tend to be of a more calm
shown via the previous example. The anxiety level ofdemeanor. They also tend to have overcome the
someone who is only just making do, exhibitingmajority of the minor struggles in life, making them
problems with their physiological as well as securitymore stable. Another aspect of what makes these
needs is of major concern. Someone undergoing thatemployees more valuable is that they are at the
much stress could have their work begin to suffer.peak of the pyramid, so even if they had a backslide,
The reverse is also true. Employees with sufficientthey would still remain higher than those who haven't
shelter, food, clothing, and so on for themselves andreached these levels, and they would remain a
their families will more often than not do better workconfident and efficient worker.
than their co-workers suffering from a lack thereof.The Maslow pyramid theory is useful in many areas
The workplace can sometimes be a monotonousof life, but serves the business world best. Savvy
place, but the peace of mind to focus on it meansemployers realize that having staff who are more
that employees will be more productive and capable.focused, more competent, and more efficient ensure
The best type of employee to hire should be foundultimate success. This success can be secured by
through a vigorous interview process; those with thehiring employees who demonstrate the traits enabled
most stable life environment are the best workers toby the top tier of Maslow's hierarchy.
have. During the hiring process, recall the MaslowDaiv Russell is a management and marketing
theory that notes the best employees should be inconsultant with Envision Web Promotion. Read more
the self-actualization and esteem stages; theseSmall Business Management Articles, learn about
people usually focus on others' needs whileAbraham Harold Maslow and the Maslow pyramid of
completing their work tasks.needs.
Esteem stage employees benefit businesses because