Happy employees create a positive workspace and a productive team. While it may not be your job to help with personal problems or life away from work, showing an interest in helping improve your employees’ lives and keeping a positive work-life balance will go a long way. At Work Institute, we recognize that employee happiness is a key to retention for companies, and we would like to share what businesses can do and what Work Institute does that makes a difference.
Recognizing the Signs of Unhappy or Disengaged Employees
Short of an employee quitting, there are other signs of unhappiness or distractions from work. Try to put yourself in their shoes to understand better what they need or want while on the job.
Everyone wants to receive proper compensation for their work, but having devoted employees goes beyond a paycheck. It is human nature to want to be valued and to be part of the team.
Creating a happy, emotionally healthy environment will make life easier and more rewarding.
Implementing Strategies for Fostering a Positive Work Environment
Be available for your employees – get to know them, be open to their suggestions, and listen to their concerns. Be transparent about company policies and new decisions, and communicate them with all your employees.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to be flexible, but being adaptable and listening to employee suggestions can be rewarding to them and may be helpful to you.
Creating a Culture of Appreciation and Support
Try to think unbiasedly about the company to listen to your employees’ concerns and suggestions. You want them to know they are appreciated, and you can listen to their thoughts and ideas.
Some ways of developing a good rapport with your employees include:
- Getting to know everyone on a personal level. Become familiar with their interests, hobbies, and a bit about their families, too. Being recognized helps staff with their feelings of self-worth.
- Ensuring your employees have all the tools to manage their work properly. It only takes a moment to ask them if they have everything they need.
- Acknowledging work well done. If an employee or a specific team brings in a finished product ahead of schedule or goes beyond to help others when needed, be sure to recognize it.
- Showing trust in your employees and keeping staff happy with a flexible work environment and hours. If someone needs or wants to work from home part-time or on occasion, why not? Or if they request a temporary change in hours due to something in their personal life, if their work is done on time and it doesn’t affect the work of others, again, why not?
The supportive list for happy employees goes on, including such things as:
- Remain honest and sincere.
- Encourage open communication.
- Allow room for training and advancement.
- Do not show favoritism to one employee over another.
- Allow autonomy.
- Be flexible with vacation time and other benefits whenever possible.
- Never forget to say thank you.
Hearing and Listening to Your Employees
It is important to listen to your employees and to make sure you are hearing and listening to what they say. Employee interviews and surveys offer valuable insight into their happiness. Many employees find it easier to talk with an outside party about their workplace concerns rather than their actual boss or HR department.
Work Institute has conducted over 500,000 employee interviews and has the experience of garnering trust while gathering information for your company to help keep your employees happy and productive. Our Voice of the Employee surveys help our clients develop improvements for a happier workplace.
Learn How to Keep Staff Happy In The Long Term
A company can only be as happy and productive as its employees. Unless hired for a temporary position, you want your employees to be in your company for the long haul.
Work Institute can help you get on the right track to a well-rounded workplace.
Contact us to see how we can help you.
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