Hygiene factors, described as Foundations in our employee experience framework, are the basic requirements that must be met in the workplace to prevent dissatisfaction among employees. These factors are not motivators or drivers of employee experience themselves, but their absence or inadequacy can lead to dissatisfaction among employees.

 Common hygiene factors include:

• Adequate salary and benefits: Employees expect to be paid fairly and receive basic benefits such as healthcare and retirement plans.
• Safe and comfortable working conditions: Employees expect to work in an environment that is safe, clean, and comfortable.
• Fair and clear policies: Employees expect to have easy access to policies that are fair and written in plain language making them accessible to all
• Suitable on the job training: Training that equips employees with the skills and knowledge to be able to perform the tasks they have been employed for
• Adequate tools and resources: Employees expect to have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively-such as computers, software, and other equipment.
• Clear communication: Employees expect to be kept informed about important developments in the company and to have access to clear communication channels.

In summary, hygiene factors are those basic requirements that must be met in the workplace to prevent job dissatisfaction among employees.

And if you want a practical example of what this dissatisfaction looks like, you can probably recall a skip-level meeting during which you were not able to get past complaints about the quality of food in the canteen or transport issues – these are the basics that cause dissatisfaction and create a distraction so our advice is to get Foundations right so that you can really elevate your EX in the areas that matter.

If you’d like to understand if you have the necessary hygiene factors in place to support your employee experience, get in touch today – we’d love to hear from you.