Does it ever feel like the key to employee happiness is locked inside an impenetrable fortress, with no windows to peer inside? What employees seem to want from work—flexible schedules, employer-sponsored childcare, telecommuting options—is ever-changing with the times. At any moment, it’s an educated guessing game for employers. But take heart! We’ve snuck inside the fortress and found five fundamentals that, when present in the workplace, keep most employees happy and motivated. And they’re more intuitive than you’d think.

The five fundamentals that all employees want from work:

1. All employees deserve professional respect, but workplace relationships and reality dictate how much they actually receive. When people feel respected, they are apt to return respectful and dignified behavior. Employee recognition and feedback contribute to the feeling of respect, because others are invested in their performance.
2. Opportunities to learn and grow. An employee’s relationship with the workplace can stagnate just as easily as a personal relationship, and when that happens, it’s time to infuse a little oomph. Most employees like to learn new skills and develop their potential. It helps freshen their personal and professional outlooks! By providing developmental opportunities, employees will feel valued, like others care about their career and their success.
3. Involvement in decisions. When it comes to their jobs, employees aren’t comfortable being a seed drifting in the wind. They want to know their voices can impact decisions that affect their roles and the company, as a whole. Happy employees are engaged employees, and engaged employees are involved and empowered when it comes time to make decisions.
4. Employees want to feel like they’re going in a clear and important direction—one that is going to make a difference. How can employees gauge the importance of where they’re heading? Through the leadership they receive. Capable leadership and guidance can let employees know they’re on the right track, working toward a goal bigger than themselves.
5. Nobody likes being the last to know, especially at work. Employees want to feel like they have equal access to the latest and greatest company news—as much as anyone else does. When employees are readily included in the information pipeline, they feel “in the know,” like a valued part of the team.

Who knew five fundamentals could make such a difference in employee happiness? By taking a peek inside the impenetrable fortress, we’ve seen that it’s not a fancy benefits package or numerous vending machine options that foster true employee happiness. It’s actually simpler than that: employees want to feel valued at a personal level, like their contributions to the company are really making a difference.