Pay, promotion, and benefits have been the traditional carrots for hiring and retaining employees. But what happens when they are not enough? During the Great Resignation, companies have watched well-paid, decorated employees walk out the door. They have watched front-line workers who had just received raises walk. Why? The emotional needs of employees are as critical as their functional needs, says Gabi Novacek, a BCG Henderson Institute fellow researching diversity, equity, and inclusion. Feeling safe, challenged, and valued at work can be even more important as a paycheck. Novacek, an archeologist by training, also discusses how a family medical emergency shaped her thinking about what really matters at work.