Happy staff within the workplace is undoubtedly one of the most important elements of an organization. A company that keeps its workforce happy has the significant benefits of increased productivity, creativity, reduced turnover and an improved bottom line. To help your company get there, we’ve created this list of what we believe to be the ten most important factors in keeping your workforce happy and healthy.
1. Provide feedback
Provide employees with consistent feedback, which is vital in developing their understanding of where they are succeeding and where they need to apply more effort. An open communication channel between employer and employee will allow for a more productive working environment. If employees don’t feel heard, they may begin to question their worth within the company and search for prospects elsewhere. By implementing monthly team meetings where all staff can share their ideas and concerns, employees are more likely to feel valued and happy to continue working hard for their employer.
2. Exercise and wellbeing
Investing in a wellness program can benefit your business in a multitude of ways. Healthy employees are more likely to work harder and add positive value to the workplace. The endorphins released during exercise will improve the mood of your employees and increase company morale. In fact, more and more companies are beginning to recognize the importance of offering means to exercise throughout the working day. Some have provided local gym memberships at a discount, some offer free or reduced cost exercise classes and others have gone as far as to install treadmill desks in the office so their employees can work and exercise simultaneously.
3. Employee communication
It is important to ensure your employees are able to work efficiently as part of a team. By encouraging interaction between workers, whether it be through team meetings or a weekly video conference, gaining an insight into what the rest of the company is up to should enhance the feeling of solidarity and working toward the same overall goal. Another effective method of achieving this unity is implementing monthly or annual teambuilding activities. Creating a workplace culture where employees communicate and respect each other will boost morale significantly and make for a happier workforce.
4. Build trust
Trust within the workplace is absolutely vital to employee satisfaction. A lack of trust can leave employees feeling insecure and affect motivation levels. This can damage both the company’s success and employee morale. The important thing here is to always attempt to remain honest and straight with your employees as far as you can. This will create the trust needed to keep them happy and to stay loyal to the company.
5. Opportunities for growth
In order to keep employees engaged and motivated it’s key to provide them with opportunities to progress within their jobs. Career development is one of the most important factors to influence employee satisfaction and can come in the form of funding advanced education and training courses, or even through providing the knowledge that there is potential for promotion within their job position. These opportunities help signify the importance the company places on the employee as part of their team and can boost morale significantly.
6. Don’t micromanage
Micromanaging restricts the ability for people to develop their skills and achieve their full potential. Workers tend to respond best to being given independence in the jobs they are asked to carry out. By allowing employees to work without constant monitoring they will develop greater confidence in their abilities and will be much happier in their jobs.
7. CSR – be a company that gives back
A great way to encourage a happy workforce is to get everyone involved in a companywide initiative that makes a difference. Having a charity that your business supports – whether that’s financially, through volunteering days, or both – is the perfect way to unite your team through the passion of helping a common cause. The knowledge that they are part of a business which cares about the greater community is also a factor which will help to boost company morale and make for a more positive work environment.
8. Small rewards
Even if the company cannot stretch to provide a massive year end bonus, offering employees something to show them they are appreciated for the work they do will improve their loyalty to the organization and make for a happier workforce. Don’t underestimate the value of an early finish every once in a while, a dress-down day, or even a simple “thank you” for a job well done.
9. Creating balance for workers
Companies that offer their employees a good work/life balance have the opportunity to ensure their workers are happy in both aspects of their lives. Understandably, this level of flexibility is not always something a business can offer and that makes it a greatly desired benefit. Providing an opportunity for this balance will keep your workers happy and should, in turn, boost their productivity.
10. Positive environment
Little things, such as allowing music to be played in the office or providing employees with free fruit every day, can improve the morale of employees significantly. Taking these small steps to improve the atmosphere of the office can prove to be invaluable in keeping a happy workforce.
This article was originally seen on Switch & Shift.
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