he definition is vast, experts assure. Emotional salary is defined by how employees feel motivated and involved with the organisation and describes much more than the remuneration paid by each company to its people as a reward for their work. Gym classes, yoga classes, a comfortable office, remote work budget, team activities or informal get-togethers are often drivers of better involvement of people with organisations, creating a culture of cooperation and collaboration that raises the emotional salary every month.
But there is more. “Recognition and appreciation turn out to be some of the primary factors: having someone who listens to them, the existence of a feedback culture contributes a lot to the emotional salary. (...) And none of this is paid for with money. Obviously, if there's a budget to do things as a team, it's a nice-to-have. But we don't need money to make people happy.”, states Beatriz Madureira, manager of happiness at work. The evolution of the job market, where the prospect of a “job for life” has long ceased to make sense, has contributed - a lot - to the awareness that remuneration is much broader than a salary. “There are not jobs for a lifetime anymore, and organisations are increasingly finding it difficult to attract talent,” says Beatriz Madureira. “If organisations do not provide what people are looking for, they will lose their employees”, stresses the expert.
“Recognition and appreciation turn out to be some of the primary factors: having someone who listens to them, the existence of a feedback culture contributes a lot to the emotional salary. (...) And none of this is paid for with money. Obviously, if there's a budget to do things as a team, it's a nice-to-have. But we don't need money to make people happy.”, states Beatriz Madureira, manager of happiness at work.
João Franqueira, VP of People at Coverflex, simplifies the definition. “If I were to change jobs now, what would I miss? Each one of us looks for different things, and that ends up being reflected in the emotional salary. The reality was transformed due to Covid-19, and this showed us the fragility of the work models that we had and that we have. We didn't know, for instance, that we were able to be productive and keep what we had, from our home”.
João Franqueira, VP of People at Coverflex, simplifies the definition. “If I were to change jobs now, what would I miss? Each one of us looks for different things, and that ends up being reflected in the emotional salary. The reality was transformed due to Covid-19, and this showed us the fragility of the work models that we had and that we have. We didn't know, for instance, that we were able to be productive and keep what we had, from our home”.
To build a culture beyond salary, or how to keep the “Sunday blues” away
“It is widely proven that, financially, salary is not a factor that generates long-term motivation. On the other hand, its absence contributes to motivation. What’s the point of a good salary if I can't enjoy it?”, asks Beatriz Madureira, during the webinar “Emotional salary: strategies and challenges for satisfaction and well-being at work”, organised by Tecmaia. “If we want to be transparent, vulnerable, allow ourselves to talk to people directly, listen to them. Who are our people and what do they value? And what can we, as a company, offer them? We have to anticipate this: as much as we like someone, will they fit into what the company is and represents? Everything is a sum, and ends up multiplying”, explains João Franqueira.
What’s the point of a good salary if I can't enjoy it?”, asks Beatriz Madureira, during the webinar “Emotional salary: strategies and challenges for satisfaction and well-being at work”, organised by Tecmaia. “If we want to be transparent, vulnerable, allow ourselves to talk to people directly, listen to them. Who are our people and what do they value? And what can we, as a company, offer them? We have to anticipate this: as much as we like someone, will they fit into what the company is and represents? Everything is a sum, and ends up multiplying”, explains João Franqueira.
The concept of emotional salary only exists when basic needs are met, defends the expert, stressing that it is important to listen to people and know what each one, and what each generation, values, and adjust the remuneration - fixed and flexible - to the particular needs of each employee. And that includes freedom of choice when it comes to a tailored benefit plan. Because “Sunday blues” is a “friend” to avoid when involvement and motivation are at stake. Maybe that's why João Franqueira doesn't like the term “retaining” talent. “I’d rather refer to the 'pleasure to stay'”, he defends. “You can't ask for productivity if the person is at risk of losing the job. Today, people management is not at the amateur level: with a global and remote market, any company can come and get a person. What can we do to make the person enjoy staying?”.
