It’s no secret that employees form the backbone of most businesses – so making sure that they’re always happy, both inside and outside of the office, is imperative for a successful company and healthy work/life balance.
But keeping employees happy isn’t always the easiest of tasks – as plenty of employers find out the hard way. There are often countless issues with reliability, time off, communication, work ethic and differences in the future of the company that can cause tensions, lead to arguments and disgruntled employees and employers alike.
But there are more benefits than just having a stress-free work environment. In fact, it’s reported that happier employees are actually much more productive, engaged and loyal to their companies of employment.
When considering the cost of rehiring and retraining compared with employee retention – it’s a no brainer to stick with the employees that you’ve got and to maximize the happiness and effectiveness within the work environment.
Not quite sure where to start? We’ve got 5 super easy ways to make your employees happy both in and out of the workplace.
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Encourage breaks and allow time away
One of the biggest issues that employees face when in the workplace is the prevention of breaks and rejection of time away.
By allowing essential time off, flexible work hours, as well as longer and more frequent breaks, you’ll find a more successful overall workforce with increased morale. It’s important to know that employees have a life outside of work with family, friends, commitments, and struggles.
But by allowing time for employees to do their own thing, especially those you can trust to perform, you’ll build a super effective team. Stacia Pache, founder and CEO of ItBandz states:
“Reward your highest performers with incremental vacation days. These employees are your superstars, so you can be confident they will get their work done as well as enjoy a few extra days of well-deserved time off with family and friends.”
Not every day should be reserved entirely for work – it’s your job as an employer to recognize this and act accordingly.
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Make employees part of the bigger picture
One of the absolute best things that you can do for an employee is to give reasoning to the tasks, goals, and future of the company – making them part of the bigger picture.
With clear communication and discussion about the direction of the company and the goals set with each and every employee, a sense of community and team spirit with high morale can be developed around the office. With a clear sense of purpose, employees will be happier as individuals with key roles and tasks to fulfill for the good of the company – you can even get personalized shirts made for a fun addition to the office.
By allowing for milestones and individual goals to be set as a team, there’s not only the foundations for a strong teamwork ethic but the potential for a world of difference in the happiness of employees.
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Provide everything they need around the office
There’s nothing more frustrating than working in an environment with all the wrong tools and limited supplies. By stocking the office with a plethora of pick-me-ups, sweet treats and snacks, you’ll gift employees a place to graze and refresh while they work.
There’s plenty of products to pick and choose from to stock in the office, but one of the absolute favorites comes in the form of protein coffee. With the decrease in hunger from the satiety of protein with the caffeine buzz from the coffee, employees will have a decrease in both fatigue and hunger, which we all know to be the two main causes of severe bad moods.
Next up on the list of ‘office must-haves’ comes a selection of sleek water bottles, encouraging hydration throughout the day to improve focus and alleviate headaches. There are countless examples to go with, but my favorite is the thermos from Kool8. Get them in the company colors or mix and match from those available to dish out to the employees – it’s a small gift that goes a long way.
By providing employees with everything that they might need around the office for their day at work, you’ll see less frustration among co-workers and a happier work environment all around.
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Reward milestones and goal completion
Telling employees ‘thank-you’ is one of the most basic ways to make them feel valued and appreciated as a member of the team, but by rewarding milestones and goal completion, you’re multiplying the gesture by a factor of 10.
If you’re working with employees to set and reach goals milestones, it’s only right that you’re then rewarding and celebrating with them. It doesn’t have to break the bank, an early finish at the end of the week, going for a couple of drinks on the day of completion or even small gifts are all great ideas that won’t cost the Earth.
They say it’s the thought that counts and when it comes to an employer/employee relationship, it’s a statement that’s never been more truthful.
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Offer benefits beyond the basics
If there’s one thing that employees love its perks of the job. If you’re serious about employee happiness and the development of a meaningful relationship, there’s little that goes as far as offering benefits beyond the basics.
Whether that’s a 4-day work week, an extra level of life or disability insurance to protect incomes, dental or optical benefits – they don’t go unnoticed and they’re all appreciated.
One of the most effective benefits comes in the form of free gym memberships that help keep employees fit and healthy both in body and mind. There’s plenty of evidence to show that exercise goes hand in hand with a productive lifestyle and improved capacity for work – so it makes sense to include the option as a perk of the job.
If there’s something you can add to supplement the salary, it’s usually a good idea to test the waters with employees and communicate to see if it’s of interest. They’ll see you working to create a better work environment with their best interests in mind and sometimes, that makes all the difference.
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