What employees value at work and why it matters for your business I Telstra

What employees value at work

Employees may have different priorities, but four areas are worth considering:

Flexibility: where, when and how people can work effectively.
Development: opportunities to learn and build useful skills.
Workplace culture: clear expectations, recognition and respectful teamwork.
Technology: tools that help people do their jobs, backed by the right support and training.

Start by asking your team what's helping them do their best work and what's getting in the way.

Why employee expectations matter to your business

Salary is only one part of the employee experience. How people work, opportunities to develop, workplace culture and the tools they use can also shape their experience at work.

For a small business, you don't need to respond to every workplace trend. Instead, focus on what matters to your people, the roles they perform and the customers they support.

Start with four questions:

What does our team need to work effectively?
What's making their jobs harder than necessary?
What skills will we need as the business changes?
Which changes would help both employees and customers?

The answers can give you a practical starting point for deciding where to focus.

Make flexibility work for your business

Flexible work doesn't have to mean everyone working remotely.

Depending on the role, it could include different start and finish times, part-time arrangements, hybrid work or remote work.

Before changing how your team works, consider:

which tasks need to happen at a particular time or location
when employees need to work together
what customers need from your team
how you'll communicate responsibilities and expectations.

There's no single flexible work model that suits every business. Think about your people, the work they do and the needs of your customers.

Help employees build useful skills

Employee development doesn't have to mean expensive courses or formal training programs.

Start with the skills your business and employees need most.

You might use:

mentoring or coaching
knowledge sharing between employees
short online courses
hands-on training
opportunities to practise new skills through everyday work.

Ask employees which skills they want to build and where they need more support.

This is particularly useful when introducing new technology. Training people on the tasks they actually need to perform can make skills development more relevant to their work.

For more ideas, explore practical ways of upskilling your team on a budget.

Choose technology that solves a real problem

New technology can be useful, but having the latest tool isn't the goal.

Start with the problem you're trying to solve.

Before introducing new technology, ask:

What problem are we trying to solve?
Who will use the technology?
How could it make their work easier or more effective?
What training or support will they need?
How will we know whether it's working?

Where practical, involve the employees who'll use the technology. They can help you understand what's working in the current process and where the problems are.

If you're considering artificial intelligence, our AI guide for small business beginners can help you understand potential uses and important considerations.

Build workplace culture through everyday actions

Workplace culture isn't only about your business values. Employees experience it through everyday interactions and decisions.

Practical ways to support a positive workplace culture include:

setting clear expectations
recognising people's contributions
keeping employees informed about business priorities
making time for feedback
supporting learning
encouraging respectful teamwork.

You don't need to address everything at once.

Choose one or two areas your team says matter most, make a practical change and check whether it's helping.

Start with what matters most to your team

There's no single checklist that defines what every employee values at work.

A more useful question for a small business is: what does your team need to do good work here?

Talk to your employees. Look for recurring issues. Then prioritise changes that make sense for your people, customers and business.

That might mean reviewing working arrangements, creating more opportunities to learn or making sure employees have the technology and support they need.

Looking for more ways to support your business?

Explore Smarter Business articles for practical advice and ideas to help you run and grow your business.

Original article published March 2025, last updated November 2026.

FAQs about what employees value at work

Employees may value different things, but common priorities include flexible ways of working, opportunities to learn and develop, a supportive workplace culture and technology that helps them work effectively.

Understanding employee expectations can help you make more informed decisions about working arrangements, skills development, workplace culture and the tools employees use.

Start by asking employees what's helping them work effectively and what's getting in their way. Use their feedback to identify practical improvements to flexibility, development, communication and technology.

Employee development can include mentoring, knowledge sharing, on-the-job learning and short training courses. The right approach depends on the skills your employees and business need.

Technology can support productivity when it solves a clear employee or business problem. Before adopting a tool, consider who'll use it, what task it should improve and what training employees will need.

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What employees value at work and why it matters for your business