Salwa Albertyn, the group human resources executive of Empact Group, believes that a thriving workplace goes beyond competitive salaries and benefits. According to her, employees no longer just seek a paycheque - they seek purpose, appreciation, and a sense of belonging.
Salwa believes in the importance of leaders taking the time to get to know their staffs’ interests, strengths, and career goals.
“As leaders, we often focus on tangible benefits - salaries, bonuses, health plans, and perks - to attract and retain staff. While these are important, they are not the defining factors that inspire real engagement, loyalty, or long-term success. The real key? Making employees feel valued,” she says.
“The more you understand your staff members the easier it becomes to communicate and give meaningful feedback. It’s about creating a culture where people genuinely feel valued by leaders and the organisation,” she explains.
“Performance reviews are the ideal time to have these meaningful conversations; but I encourage leaders to find time to have meaningful conversations as much as possible with their staff.”
She explains that what truly makes a difference is recognition. “When leaders acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of their teams, they create an environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and empowered to do their best work. I was recently inspired by a post that summed this up perfectly: True happiness at work doesn’t come from getting paid; it comes from feeling valued.”
Authentic feedback
“This simple truth is at the core of effective leadership. Employees don’t just work for a pay cheque, they work for purpose, recognition, and the assurance that their contributions matter. In the contract cleaning, foodservice and facilities industries, where employees often operate behind the scenes, this is especially critical. We must ensure that our teams regardless of level, feel seen, respected, and empowered.”
According to her, implementing changes that matter to employees starts with gathering authentic feedback. She suggests several innovative methods for organisations to connect with employees. “These include social media, group engagement sessions via online communication tools like Teams and company intranet, and surveys to communicate an idea via various portals like Whatsapp or emailed surveys etc.”
With leaders often seen as the driving force behind a company’s success, Salwa acknowledges how organisations can also create environments that support and uplift their leaders.
“Organisations should ensure that leaders are given the correct tools, namely a workplace that is inclusive, respectful, and supportive, where everyone feels valued and empowered.”
“It’s also important to have structure and support to ensure that leaders are motivated to perform at an optimal level. Organisations that set clear goals and key objectives will improve motivation for leaders to deliver on their own key performance objectives.”
She adds that a culture of recognition should extend to all levels of an organisation, and leadership efforts should not go unnoticed.
“Trust and acknowledgment are also important for leaders to deliver on objectives, feel motivated and feel appreciated. All employees in an organisation have the need to feel appreciated, irrespective of their level, from a junior employee to an executive level.”
“Another very important source for me personally; is for leaders to maintain a healthy work-life balance as this can improve their overall well-being, motivation and job satisfaction.”
