Happy employees -> a healthier bottom line.
Research cited in this Fast Company article showed that happiness made workers 12% more productive.
It makes sense. When people are feeling positive and engaged in their work, they naturally perform at their best. And fortunately, there’s a lot you can do as an employer to ensure your staff is happy on the job. Below, we share 4 ways to increase employee happiness by building the right culture:
Improve employee communication and interaction.
When employees feel disconnected or in the dark, they’re much more likely to experience isolation and job dissatisfaction. Seamless, effective communication is essential to fostering trusting relationships among employees. Evaluate your organization’s communications practices and channels, looking for ways to improve transparency, idea-sharing and engagement:
- Hold daily status meetings to encourage face to face interaction, keep employees on track with individual goals, and learn from one another.
- Add a social intranet to increase the speed and efficiency of daily information exchanges.
- Encourage social interactions outside work. Getting together with fellow employees outside work strengthens existing bonds, creates new ones and generally improves workplace relationships. Consider adding monthly social outings, annual company retreats or team-building activities to help employees connect with one another on a meaningful level.
Foster mentorship.
Mentorship programs that pair experienced employees with new team members are another great way to foster fulfilling relationships at work – offering the mentor a sense of purpose, and the person mentored a sense of connection and value. Executed properly, a formal mentorship program can make employees feel more comfortable and confident on the job, improving both job satisfaction and productivity levels.
Celebrate employee achievements.
Building a culture of happiness starts with recognizing staff members for their hard work, as well as both individual and team successes. In this post, we share three of the most common employee recognition mistakes employers make, and offer ideas to demonstrate your appreciation for individual and departmental contributions.
Encourage employees to take charge of their own happiness.
Ensuring your employees’ happiness isn’t entirely up to you. Remind team members of all the things they can do to be more relaxed, focused and fulfilled at work:
- Helping out co-workers
- Taking 5 minute mindfulness or meditation breaks
- Personalizing their work space
- Maintaining a daily journal of things they’re grateful for on the job
- Getting fresh air on their breaks
People are your greatest asset. Partner with an experienced Cool Springs staffing and recruiting firm like Wood Personnel to build a happier and more productive workforce – and a healthier bottom line.