3 Strategies to Keep Your Employees Happy and Productive
3 Strategies to Keep Your Employees Happy and Productive
- Ask them – Ask them how satisfied they are with their position and the organization they work for. This can be done casually through conversation or more formally through a survey. You may not be able to rectify everything they either complain about or wish for, but you can take this opportunity to educate them on the why or why not. We have always found that when our team members understood the reason behind something, they were more satisfied with the decision (even if they didn’t fully support it). You may also come up with some great ideas that are easily implemented and may not cost the organization anything – for example, bring your pet to work day, casual dress day, or flex time. And these types of things can go a long way with satisfying team members.
- Create a Productive Work Environment – take a look around and ask yourself how you can improve the working conditions or space that your team spends their time. Could a fresh coat of paint brighten up the space and make it more conducive to creativity? Is there enough sunlight? Is there a way to add more? Do you have plants and good lighting in the space? Ask your team for ideas – you may find that you have a budding designer in your presence who would love the chance to spruce things up a bit. Employees report being happier if their work space is fun, warm and inviting.
- Recognize a job well done! This seems like a no brainer but employees like being recognized for being a valuable part of the team. Create contests and set goals then find ways to publicly recognize your team members for reaching them and positively contributing to the team. Not only will this give your team member greater satisfaction, but it will improve overall productivity, too. When employees feel appreciated and feel they are an essential part of a team, they are more productive and motivated to do extra for the client as well as their coworkers.
Bottom line, employee satisfaction doesn’t just come down to dollars and cents. Some of the biggest indicators of job satisfaction are simply enjoying their work, work-life balance, a feeling of belonging at the organization and feeling like they are making a difference.