In America, 30% of workers say that their job is simply a means to help them get by. When your employees feel this way, it’s likely they aren’t satisfied or happy in their workplace.
Improving employee happiness can help reduce turnover, result in better productivity, and improve your workplace culture overall. So, where do you start? Here’s how any small business owner can improve employee happiness.
1. Be Prepared to Listen
The first step is to understand what needs changing in your workplace. You can’t know how your employees feel until you listen to them.
It’s possible the employees in your company won’t feel comfortable walking up to you and addressing concerns. Many workers might fear a serious consequence, such as losing their job.
However, ignoring problems and concerns can do more harm than good. Those employees might feel stressed out or dread coming to work.
Encourage them to share their thoughts with an anonymous suggestion box or online form. This way, you can hear what your workers really feel without making them uncomfortable.
2. Show Appreciation
One of the easiest ways to improve employee happiness and create the best company culture is simply to say thank you. Appreciation matters, and your employees will feel more valued if you acknowledge their efforts. No one wants to work with an unappreciative manager, after all!
It costs you nothing to say thank you, and it makes your employees feel like their hard work matters and that you care about them.
If you want to go the extra mile, consider rewarding employees that perform well with small gifts, such as a gift card or products with the company logo.
3. Encourage a Healthy Work-Life Balance
One of the biggest factors that influence employee happiness is having a healthy work-life balance. Your workers need to know that you value them as individuals, not just as employees, and that you understand they need time outside of work.
Try to be more flexible when it comes to letting employees work from home or attend a meeting virtually. Take time to learn about your employees and their families. Maybe one of your workers needs to spend a few days working from home as they care for a sick child or aging parent.
4. Lead by Example
Business ownership is often quite stressful, and you may find yourself pushing harder to meet specific goals. It may mean working longer hours, checking in on projects more frequently, working through lunch, etc. Overworking yourself can affect your mood, and when you’re unhappy, your employees will likely be unhappy.
Try to lead by example. Smile and laugh more and adopt a more positive attitude. Take time for yourself and separate your work life from your personal life. Take breaks for lunch and try to leave at a set time.
Practice appreciation and having a positive attitude.
5. Encourage Communication
Lastly, encourage communication among employees. Make the workplace somewhere where creative ideas are encouraged, and coworkers can start collaborations or learn more about other parts of the company.
People that feel welcome and connected to their coworkers are more likely to find enjoyment in going to work.
Use These Tips to Improve Employee Happiness
If you want to improve employee happiness in the workplace, start with these simple and effective tips. It doesn’t take much, and your workers will definitely notice. To learn more ways to improve your company, check
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