Being a boss can be stressful, particularly if you’ve got a varied workforce with employees from all different walks of life. You want the business to succeed but you also need your employees for this to happen and it’s no lie that happier employees work harder. Employees who are happy are enthusiastic about coming to work and often put in extra effort to their work.
If you’ve got a workforce who are “less than engaged” or consider work a time-sink, you’ll not likely to see any positive results from work completed.
Companies that have put effort into engaging their employees in the past have seen positive results, from increased sales to an increase in the value of stocks. It also increases trust and loyalty from customers when they see a company that places importance on employee happiness and engagement. Consider using pay-scale data as a way to manage rewards within the business, further encouraging employee happiness.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways companies can put their employee’s happiness high on the priority list:
1. Accommodate Individuality
Every person is different and it’s certainly no different, regardless of how large the workforce. Every person will have their own strengths and weaknesses that a company can use to get the best out of their employee. Where possible, allow employees to express their individuality through dress down days. While you can still expect a level of intelligence from your employees, moving the focus away from strict regulations helps to relax the workforce, and makes employees more comfortable in their environment.
Some employees will be driven toward advancement, while there will be others that have reached their personal goals, and are happy to work at their current pace. Offer optional training and education for those who seek it, and your workers will feel valued. Not only will training benefit your employees, but having the option to further their education has been shown to reduce employee turnover and increase productivity.
2. Provide Tools and Be Available
From the employee’s point of view, there’s nothing worse than being expected to complete a job and not having the tools to do so. It’s frustrating and stifling, and often leads to decreased productivity and higher employee turnover. Providing good quality tools to perform tasks can go a long way to motivate employees and increasing happiness in the workplace.
Next to not having the correct tools to perform a task is not having an outlet to ask questions or seek further assistance. Should an employee feel abandoned or disrespected by management they are likely to go elsewhere. Be available for your employees or ensure that management is trained to communicate clearly with sufficient knowledge to answer all concerns.
3. Recognise Value and Offer Rewards
Valuable employees deserve rewards. Recognising the value of your workers will ensure they aren’t tempted to go elsewhere. Tailor rewards specifically to the value employees give. It doesn’t have to be costly, but if you have consistent and achievable goals, employees will take notice. You could even get other employees involved to help reward hard-working individuals. This can help strengthen bonds between the team and offer a morale boost.
Ensure your employees are paid according to their skills and strengths — and where possible — try not to play favorites. While employers may discourage talking about wages, employees do talk to each other. If you’re unsure of how to approach this, consider approaching a company who can produce a salary scale report. This is a salary comparison of companies within the industry to ensure you are paying the market rate.
Conclusion
Dependant on the size of your workforce, it’s a definite that your employees are the most critical part of your company. Considering most employees spend between 40 — 60 percent of their waking hours at work, it’s important their happiness is paramount.
If you’ve seen a decrease in productivity, or find yourself scratching your head at a demotivated workforce, consider meeting with your employees to find out how you can increase the level of team spirit.