It doesn’t matter how excellent your products and services are, if your business does not have the right people, it won’t get very far. Business owners and managers across the globe all know that keeping their staff happy and working together towards a common goal is the best way to achieve success because happy workers tend to stick around longer and work harder for the company. But how exactly do you keep your staff happy?
Here are a few simple things you can do to maintain happiness levels and keep your employees working hard:
Create a Sense of Ownership
You might be the business owner, but if you can find a way to make every single one of your employees feel like they own a little piece of the company too, they’ll be a lot more motivated in their jobs and a lot happier on the whole. You could do this by giving them actual shares in the company or by simply fostering a sense of togetherness and that the company’s goals are their goals too. You can do this with bonuses, prizes, awards and promotions – all of these things should help your staff to stay happy on the whole.
Increase Their Comfort
Comfortable staff are happy, efficient staff. So, don’t skimp on things like office chairs and desks, which should be comfy and ergonomic to support good physical health; allow your employees to have plants, flowers and other trinkets on their desks; create rest spaces where they can relax and regather themselves and buy them the occasional lunch. It might cost a little more upfront, but you should reap the rewards in terms of greater staff retention levels, commitment and productivity.
Give Them New Responsibilities
One of the worst mistakes you can make as a business owner is to pigeonhole your employees and then have them doing the same things over and over again, month after month, year after year. If you want your staff to be happy, you need to trust in their abilities, and you need to give them new challenges. Being bored can get pretty depressing over time, and employees are more likely to leave when they feel like they’re just treading water.
Always Keep Them Informed
You might be in charge, but as far as possible you should treat your employees as equals, particularly when it comes to keeping them informed about important company business, ESPECIALLY if it concerns them. There is nothing worse about being kept in the dark about changes to working practices, possible redundancies and difficulties, and knowing that their employees keep stuff from them can leave employees always feeling on edge and unhappy.
Perks are Important
If you want to keep staff happy, then perks are important, but they aren’t as big a deal as you might think. If staff are otherwise happy in their jobs, then throwing them the occasional bonus for a job well done or paying for their gym memberships might be well received and will certainly help to keep them happy. However, you don’t have to go overboard because they won ‘t be a dealbreaker.
Implement some ( or ideally all) of these simple techniques, and you are sure to see a boost to your team’s morale, greater levels of staff retention and increased levels of productivity, which will make your company’s position stronger, and your chances of successful growth even better.
