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While the idea of having a happy and motivated workforce sounds great, its importance cannot be over emphasised. In a corporate climate increasingly defined by values, employee happiness is essential because it is directly related to the rising importance of “customer experience” that can make or break a company. Together, these two terms have awakened a new phenomenon that requires businesses to take a deep internal look at themselves and assess their “employee experience”.
1. Why Employee Happiness Should Be a Top Priority
It wasn’t too long ago that it was completely normal not to find happiness behind your work desk. If you didn’t like your job, you just did it all the same and found your happiness outside the office. But times have changed. The link between happiness and productivity isn’t new, but many employers still underestimate just how important it is.What is making them rethink is the growing importance of customer experience and happy employees can only provide that kind of service. Success has been redefined as it now depends on company’s ability to listen to its customers and show their brand’s morale and value. These values go hand in hand with a happy workforce.
When we are overwhelmed by strong negative emotions, we don’t process information as well, think creatively, or make good decisions. Frustration, anger, and stress shut down the thinking part of our brain- the one that is essential for the workplace. A study from HBR only confirms that being happy at work matters- and it matters a lot!
Happy employees stay in their job four times longer than unhappy employees. They are 12% more productive as they commit twice as much time to their tasks. They have 65% more energy than unhappy employees, which makes it obvious that having happy employees is a necessity for every successful workplace. Productivity, quality of output and retention all depend on it.
2. Ways To Boost Employee Satisfaction
Believe it or not, although wage increases can be a simple way to provide a perk, they are often not viewed as an actual benefit. To improve employee happiness actually, what companies need to do is nurture a strong and meaningful two-way relationships with their staff and create a positive atmosphere for these relationships to blossom. Putting people first means many things.
Showing respect
Your employee’s opinion matters so involve them in discussions and listen to their feedback.
Listen
You need to figure out what happiness means to your employees and ask them how you can support them better.
Work
You should ensure your employees have a balanced and interesting workload and encourage them to pursue new interests and enhance their skills. Forgive mistakes if your employees learn from them and don’t repeat them. Most importantly, make space for creativity as what every business needs is people who think outside of the box and solve complex problems.
Appreciation
Pay, perks, benefits, bonuses and other benefits are just one part of the equation and you cannot afford to skip a single variable. Micromanagement can diminish all of them because what you want is bright people who only need to be pointed in the right direction and what this does is irritate people and show them you don’t have confidence in their capabilities. You need to show your employees you value them, act on their feedback and celebrate their successes. At the end of the day and hierarchy aside, you are in the same boat, so their success is your success and vice versa.
Create a system that supports a work-life balance
The pandemic taught companies across the globe that they can function remotely. Remote work offers employees flexibility and saves them time from their daily commutes so leave the option open for them. You can also provide incentives by paying a portion of their Oncor utility bill or phone bills as they certainly got higher with home offices.
Creating a positive environment altogether
Remember to ensure regular check-ins and promote a culture where feedback is encouraged. Banish fear because bad ideas can help you get to the good stuff but you won’t get anywhere if your employees are afraid to speak up. Look at the whole picture and don’t underestimate even the physical environment’s impact on your company culture, and employee happiness levels as natural lighting and landscaping can do wonders.
TakeawayIt wasn’t too long ago that being happy at work wasn’t a big deal but we are now in the age of employee experience. Executives are starting to realise that not keeping their employees happy puts their company’s future at risk. Ultimately, employee happiness comes from everyone having the same vision and sharing the same core values. Investing in the happiness of your team means putting people first because you know it will not only improve productivity and the quality of your offering, but it will help you build a more stable and more profitable business with a rock-solid reputation that you can’t put a price on.
