Do you know what employees want from the work experience and whether you’re providing it? Professional development tops the list for many employees, and you can meet that need by offering personalized coaching that is designed to improve your reps’ sales skills. The start-​up fever that spread across the U.S. in the past couple of decades was coupled with employers feeling compelled to provide snack kitchens, cafeterias and stock options. New research shows that candidates are still interested in stock options, but they also want a sense of purpose at work.

Employee Dissatisfaction

Managers might be fretting about how the new remote work mandate at their organization is dinging the employee experience. Topia has just released new research that shows only 19% of employees care about great office space and perks. For team members between the age of 18 and 38, the biggest work bummer is the lack of career growth and development. These findings echo what sales reps told us in our research: Around 25% of sales reps say they’d be more likely to stay with their current employer if they were offered the opportunity to advance.

Improving the Work Experience

One way to help employees advance is to make sure they know how to use the latest technology. This need comes at a time when sales teams may not be able to personally connect with prospects and clients. Our new work world means that your sales reps should have access to the best tech equipment. While the Topia survey focused on HR-​related technology, some of their findings are applicable to all employees. For example, 42% of employees want a simpler tech experience and 31% need more training on the tools available to them.

Take the lead as a sales manager and enroll your team members in training programs designed to help them master the tools they need to virtually meet with prospects and clients. This kind of training is only one form of professional development. You can also use an automated coaching solution to help your reps improve key sales skills. Our Voice of the Sales Rep survey shows that 26% of sales reps say their company would be more successful if they were offered more sales training and coaching. When your reps feel confident in their ability to prospect, discover, present and close, they'll make quota. Don't miss this opportunity to increase engagement with your team members.

Once your reps’ skills are up to date, think about the best way to offer opportunities now. You may not be able to give them a promotion, but they might appreciate being able to work on a specific account. Or they might be interested in shifting roles from account management to more active selling. Maybe one of your reps is also a techie and could work wonders when it comes to improving the CRM system. Offer your reps an opportunity to explore the possibilities and they’ll reward you with hard work and loyalty.