Here are the 2 best ways to keep your top employees happy - and neither costs a cent

When it comes to driving employee engagement and motivating workers, there are two specific incentives that stand out among all others: Providing the ability to work autonomously and attend to work and life responsibilities on their own schedules.

Chris Gobalakrishna, the CFO of WorkStride, sat down with Business Insider to discuss the best ways to incentivize employees.

Workstride is a company that provides employee incentive and recognition software for enterprises, helping companies develop positive office cultures.

Gobalakrishna admits that employees will always care about career advancement and compensation, but he says those are not the biggest drivers of employee retention and success in today's market.

1. Employees want to work with a high level of autonomy.

"Employees want the ability to execute their job responsibilities as they see fit," Gobalakrishna explains. "They want to add value using their unique skill sets, to express their opinions, and contribute to the company's strategy."

Asking employees to help develop company strategy and implement their ideas in a fast-paced environment isn't just a good idea, it's critical in today's competitive and quick-moving business world.

2. Work-life blend is increasingly important to employees.

Forget "work-life balance." These days employees want to mix their personal lives with their work. The need to achieve a strong work-life blend is especially important to people working in the technology field, where many employees set their own schedules.

"Employers need to be flexible about where and when employees can work," Gobalakrishna says. "People don't see their careers as purely linear paths anymore and expect to make many twists and turns along the way. As such, they have multiple interests and like the ability to be able to do everything."

The idea of blending work and life has become increasingly popular of late. Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said she doesn't believe in "balancing" her work with family responsibilities, but instead looks to "mix" them together throughout her day.

We are now seeing more parents who make it to their child's soccer match, while continuing to sporadically work from their iPad during the game. It has simply become easier for employees to pull out their mobile devices and complete a work-related task regardless of where they are or what they are doing at the time.