Do you want a happier workplace? The research shows that 5 top companies are doing these things making their employees among the most satisfied and fulfilled. This will not only make employees happy, but also guarantee their productivity increase.
Creating a workplace, where employees feel happy, seems to be an idyll or an urban legend. Probably all of us heard about it, yet still everyone is complaining. What if this kind of places really exist, and what’s more, the research proves that the productivity in these workplaces is even 3 times higher? Human happiness has serious impact on productivity, and positive emotions seem to make the human being alive. Companies such as Google have invested in more support for the employees, and as a result the employee satisfaction increased 37%! The driving force of the entire process is a fact, that the happy employees spend their time more efficiently, increasing the ratio in which they can work without losing a quality.
This leads to the question, how should the entrepreneurs begin the change, in order to use all the benefits of happy employees? Well, first of all, happiness isn’t something, that leaders can introduce to their employees as a program or a strategy. In most of the cases, it’s the way of thinking, which starts precisely from the leaders. Transmitting their own notions and hiring the employees, that will be the biggest asset to the company are essential. When people at work are treated in the right way, they change the attitude, and their ambitions and bondage with the company grows significantly.
This kind of change can be made only through creating the environment, which enables maintaining the high work standards, through motivating daily, and through the respect towards the people fulfilling their duties. Here are the 5 ways, how to do it effectively.
1. Define, what makes your workplace a good workplace.
Take a look around your organisation and ask yourself a question: “Who are my best employees and what do I appreciate about them?” It’s important to simply ask, if they recommend the organisation to others as a good place to work. Listen to their ideas, identify their strengths, and create a core, based on which, involving your employees, you will start to introduce the changes. This gives the solid basis to lead your actions and build the positive effects. Using this information towards the new hires will empower the selection process, and identify the features which are particularly demanded and the most valuable. Afterwards, it’s enough to consequently transmit the values as the behaviour, which is expected in the company, and using the incentives, which will strengthen them in the entire enterprise.
2. Create the spirit of the mutual learning in the company
What can be found in majority of the happy organisations is the growing employee engagement. It can be characterised by good identification of talents and strengths used in fulfilling the tasks, thanks to which it will in the most simple and effective way use the potential, which with time will evolve into the driving force in the company. The top employees will bring the spirit of the mutual education within the company, and will create a message “Increasing qualifications in our organisation is a top priority”.
3. Create the culture of open communication and frequent feedbacks
According to the Gallup research, the second most common mistake, which brings the losses is lack of communication. The top priority is getting rid of the traditional annual scorecard as the only form of feedback. It’s the outdated HR practice – a ritual for the overloaded managers, who feel obliged to do it – and it’s simply not working anymore. Instead, it’s important to increase the frequency of giving the feedback. By doing it monthly, you can observe the progress, and witness the entire process, not only the final effect, not talking much about the reasons of the results. It is especially expected by the Millennials, who need the constant development, challenges and the possibility to grow.
4. Respect work-life balance
In the 24/7 online world, it’s much easier to get hired without even coming to the office. The research, conducted by the University of Georgetown and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, confirm that 80% of the employees would be happy with the more flexible form of work, and the alternatives, which will allow to realise their personal needs. Think of some of the strategies, which increase the morale of the employee:
- Allow the parents of the small children to begin work before the classical working hours (for instance before 7 a.m.) and leave earlier in the afternoon, in order to pick their kids from the kindergarten.
- For the owls, more productive at night, allow the option to arrive later in the office, around lunch, and stay longer in the evening, around 8 p.m.
- Give the possibility to work in the 10-hours system, and in exchange give 3 days off per week, or propose a system of 9-hours system, from Monday till Thursday, offering free Fridays. The perfect solution for the weekend students.
- Offer the remote work. Many employees are happier and more productive, working from home.
- Offer the personal days off for the employees with family needs.
- Ensure the possibility of taking care of kids or animals. More and more companies offers the option of bringing a child or a pet with you to work. It brings the psychological comfort and allows to work unstressed, which increases the effectiveness.
5. Create the culture of appreciation and recognition
According to Gallup research, companies with the highest employee engagement results, use recognitions and appreciation as strong motivators, in order to increase engagement. The employees appreciated on regular basis, by managers but also by colleagues, increase their individual productivity, are more loyal and satisfied. They tend to stay longer in the company. Sean Kelly, the CEO at SnackNation, introduced in the company „Crush in Call”. Each friday the entire team participated in a dedicated meeting.
„Our entire team gathers around, and we form a circle, walking and calling someone, who’s work we want to appreciate. We can also create the monthly or quarterly rewards for the team member, who embodies the most desired values. I also recommend the improvised appreciation. You can send and e-mail within the company, when we notice that someone did something outstanding and worth appreciating. You can also give it the more personal character and send a personalised message. This type of unexpected gestures have higher influence and value. In my opinion, you should never ever underappreciate the power of the personal feedback (especially sent to your employees home)”.
