Employees don’t just quit bad jobs.

Performers quit jobs that lack these 10 essentials:

Team excellence doesn’t come as a result of fear.

And, while food and parties have their place…

You need the basics:
1. Fair compensation
2. Growth opportunities
3. Supportive leadership
4. Work-life boundaries
5. Sense of belonging

But research reveals 5 unexpected needs that truly drive workplace satisfaction.

6/ Psychological Contrasts
⇢ The freedom to have both tough days AND celebration days
⇢ Permission to be brilliantly productive AND occasionally average

7/ Productive Friction
⇢ Not just "yes people" but thoughtful challengers
⇢ Teams that push your thinking while having your back

8/ Identity Expansion Zones
⇢ Space to try on new professional identities
⇢ Safety to evolve beyond your initial role

9/ Micro-Recognition Systems
⇢ Small, frequent acknowledgments over big, rare praise
⇢ Peer appreciation that's specific and immediate

10/ Learning-Friendly Failures
⇢ The ability to fail without career damage
⇢ Clear pathways to transform mistakes into expertise

The surprising truth:

It's often these hidden needs, not the obvious ones, that determine whether someone stays or leaves;

Whether they put their heart in the game or just their head.