Today marks the #InternationalDayOfHappiness, which makes a nice change from the usual anti-Monday posts clogging up our news feeds! It’s no secret that many of us hate a Monday at the best of times, but if we are unhappy in the workplace it is a deadly combination for both the employee and the employer too. If your company isn’t focused on monitoring and improving employee happiness levels in your organisation then you could be missing a trick!
Studies show that happy employees take one tenth sick leave and are twice as productive as less happy employees. If you want to inject employee happiness into your organisation (and reap the benefits in turn) then check out these 5 simple tips!
Clear goals and objectives
What gets measured gets done, so having clear defined goals for your employees will not only help the organisation as a whole, but give employees a clear route to meet these objectives. Nothing stresses out an employee more than a chaotic workload and a lack of guidance so it is important that everyone understands their role and responsibilities. With many employees citing job progression as the main reason for leaving a role, be sure to map out clear routes to progression (if you can accommodate this) and support employees in their efforts! Loyalty breeds loyalty after all!
Be transparent
This is a buzzword that pretty much every organisation usually jumps on, but it’s not always the case! Certain information is sometimes only privy to the senior management / Directors, but hiding information from your hard working employees can cause feelings of uncertainty which does not make a happy employee! If there are rumours of redundancies floating around the office for example it may be better to be open with your employees rather than try and hide the facts. Bad news is sometimes better than Chinese whispers in the office!
Be flexible
Flexible hours and working location isn’t always an option for companies, after all you can’t work from home if you’re a restaurant chef or flex your working hours if you work in a Primary School! But for those of us who DO have the option to let your employees flex their working hours or work from home on occasion it might be something to consider! While an employee coming in an hour earlier may have no impact on your business, the fact they can avoid a nightmare commute can be a great way to improve work-life balance.
Meetings – but not for meetings sake
Meetings about meetings about meetings – we’ve all been there at some point or another! Meetings for meetings sake is a massive de-motivator, it can waste time, put a strain on your employees and generally p*ss people off! Instead look at frequent catch ups and collaborations on a more informal basis – and save the meetings for when they are really needed!
Perks that work
Unfortunately a ping-pong table won’t cure a bad company culture and dress down Friday’s won’t solve your employee happiness levels. There is no quick fix to this! However perks can be a nice ‘cherry on top’ to give you spikes in employee happiness, just make sure you’re focusing on your working environment and company culture first! Also make sure the perks you offer match your employees, studies show that dogs in the workplace can help reduce stress levels but you need to check this is relevant to your employees before you take a trip to Battersea Dogs Home! Regular employee surveys and feedback is a good way to find this out!
If you have any success stories from boosting employee happiness levels then please let us know by tweeting @somehire!
