Organizations are catching on fast to the link between employee satisfaction and productivity. Forward-thinking companies are experimenting with four day weeks, nap chairs for a quick power snooze and completely flexible office configurations with moveable furniture. There’s an endless list of methods you can use to foster staff satisfaction, read on to learn the ideas that are easiest to implement.
Rewards and Recognition
When an employee feels that their contribution is valuable and recognized in the workplace, they derive a higher level of satisfaction from coming to work each day. There are many ways you can reward your employees for their hard work. Why not surprise them with a few corporate gifts on their work anniversary, send an office-wide email telling the team about their recent achievements, or celebrate wins at the start of each team meeting?
Create a Collaboration Corner
The collective power of the minds is a powerful tool for companies to leverage. Not only do brainstorming sessions generate fantastic ideas and innovative solutions to business issues, but they are also energizing and invigorating for the people involved. To encourage a culture of collaboration, make a space in your office dedicated to brainstorming. It may be as simple as a nook with comfortable seating and some whiteboards or butchers paper. By carving out a dedicated area, you are demonstrating that you value time spent innovating as a team.
Give and Take
Rigid work hours and inflexible conditions are becoming outdated as the workforce shifts, and technology developments enable more employees to work from home. If your firm is stuck in the dark ages when it comes to offering flexibility around working hours and conditions, you may find that it demotivates your current staff members and limits the pool of talent you have to draw from when recruiting new employees.
Companies may be fearful that their staff will take advantage of flexibility too heavily and not deliver the same work they did before. However, research has shown that the converse is true. If you offer your employees flexibility and put your trust in them, they will reward you with loyalty and hard work.
Regular Check-Ins
Many businesses survey their customers to find out where they can improve, but do you survey your employees? Staff members frequently have a wealth of ideas and suggestions on how you could improve customer service, implement more efficient internal processes, and reduce costs. They will be pleased that you asked, and you will gather all kinds of useful insights for the future.
Upskilling and Career Advancement
Whether you have a flat-structured organization or a hierarchical one, you need to have a plan in place for the ongoing training and education of your staff. The most common reason to change roles or companies is for career advancement, which equates to an opportunity to grow and progress.
The best development plans are created in consultation with the team members, as they will have valuable insights about gaps in their knowledge and advancements within the industry. Offering the opportunity to learn new skills will keep people interested and engaged with their roles, whether or not their title changes. The company benefits from both the new skills and enthusiasm. Of course, as their skills advance, it is critical that you regularly review their salary to ensure it is in line with their experience and qualifications.
Investing in the happiness of your team members will be repaid tenfold in productivity gains, loyalty, and hard work. Implement one or all of the tactics above and watch your workforce flourish.
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