Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, created the theory of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to assist business owners in maintaining elevated levels of employee engagement. The theory proposes that there are five essential needs that drive human motivation, arranged in a hierarchical order.
Maslow's theory states that people first attend to their basic needs, then progress to higher level needs only once the lower level of needs are met, leading to a sense of fulfillment.
In marketing, the hierarchy is used to market to specific groups of people based on similar needs. However, it can also be applied to other areas - to ascertain employees engagement and arguably, even in marriages!
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the Workplace: Many companies use this hierarchy in the workplace to determine how to motivate employees and meet their needs.
1. Physiological needs
Survival needs such as coffee, clean water, comfortable working environment, breaks to eat, access to a restroom, and steady income are essential to meet the basic physiological needs of employees.
2. Safety in the workplace
Other than the obvious physical safety, an employee shouldn't constantly worry about losing their job due to layoffs or budget cuts.
3. Social Needs
The need for social gatherings such as:
-Networking sessions, and
-Birthday/anniversary celebrations,
have become all the more important while employees work from home.
4. Esteem needs
-Recognizing and Rewarding Accomplishments
-Focusing on the expertise of a person
-Employee Awards and Promotions
5. Self-actualization
-Providing opportunities such as fast-track management programs
-Training and Mentoring
Companies should consider self-actualization as the ultimate objective for employees but not skip social and esteem needs to that avail.
CEB's data indicates that 50% of employees who accept a counteroffer end up leaving within a year. Kropp explains, “It’s almost like when you’re in a relationship and you’ve decided you want to break up, but your partner does something that makes you stick around a little longer."
"Employees who accept a counteroffer are most likely going to quit at some point very soon.”
So when companies talk about improving retention and creating more employee engagement, they should focus on creating a safe, socially-connected, rewarding workplace, which then provides adequate training to employees to reach the next level of transcendence. The needs are best met when employees are either working together based out of a physical office or leveraging the online infrastructure in the best way possible to meet the social needs of employees. Since employees are often reluctant/lazy/hesitatant to turn on their cameras while communicating, it may be helpful for companies to establish guidelines around communication and force employees into social situations for their own best interests, and over the long-term for the best interests of the company. Once a strong social connect is established, only then esteem needs and self-actualization needs have sufficient room to be met sustainabily in the workplace.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in a Marriage:
1. Survival Needs: Being legally married according to the state or religious organization is enough to meet survival needs in a marriage. Living together or maintaining regular contact is sufficient, even if without loving spouse.
2. Safety: Safety encompasses financial security, trust, honesty, physical, mental and emotional protection, and avoidance of any form of abuse in the marriage.
3. Love: Love is a crucial requirement for a successful marriage, along with kindness, compassion, intimacy, affection, affirmation of love, and physical intimacy.
4. Esteem: To reach this level, both spouses must have self-esteem and respect each other, and honor commitments.
5. Growth: Only when the lower needs are met, both partners can support each other's growth, make healthy sacrifices for the greater good, have maturity, maintain a balanced life, find fulfillment, and give back to the community.
A 2016 Harvard study, published in the American Sociological Review, suggests that it's not a couple's finances (safety needs) that affect their chances of divorce, but rather the division of labor (again somewhere between love and esteem needs).
Another survey of 127,545 American adults revealed that married men are healthier than men who were never married or whose marriages ended in divorce or widowhood. Indeed, a healthy marriage can help an individual reach their fullest potential with the support of their partner, but before expecting such support, the person should ask themselves if they're meeting the basic needs of their partner for safety, love, belongingness, and esteem first or not.
Whether it is the scenario of the workplace or a marriage, fulfilment of the lower level of needs first is the the starting point.
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