The Hierarchy of Employee Needs w/ O'Brien McMahon

This special episode was previously aired on the Gut + Science Podcast in 2021. In it, host Nikki Lewallen interviews our own O'Brien McMahon on The Hierarchy of Employee Needs and his perspective on what employers can do to meet the needs of their people. In the conversation, O'Brien outlines a basic framework and gives examples of how employers can use it successfully. The Gut+Science Podcast is on a mission to improve employee engagement by inspiring and equipping leaders to help employees thrive at work. They are part of the People Forward Network, a community of thought leaders inspiring ideas and action toward meaningful work and meaningful lives.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• People Forward Network
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
• Drive by Daniel Pink
• Books by Jocko Willink
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
• The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Time Codes:

(2:26) - The Hierarchy of Employee Needs.
(5:08) - How does it relate to employee compensation & benefits?
(7:33) - What mindset shift do leaders need to take when structuring comp and benefits?
(8:56) - Examples of companies with great foundations for their hierarchy.
(10:50) - Best practices for making powerful employee incentives.
(15:04) - Hierarchy Level 2: Leadership.
(17:56) - Mastery, Autonomy & Purpose.
(18:57) - How do great leaders ensure these needs are being met?
(20:32) - A 5 question survey for checking employee needs.
(23:39) - What is your favorite book of all time?
(25:18) - What is your favorite hobby?
(25:40) - What is your favorite vacation spot?
(26:32) - Getting in touch with O’Brien.