How to keep your employees happy and motivated at work
As a business owner, it’s easy to focus solely on your customers, your reputation and profit. However, one of the keys to a successful business is ensuring that your employees are well-taken care off and are happy in their workplace. Here are a few simple tips for keeping your employees happy and motivated at work…
Do you have the right tools to succeed?
Employees must be equipped with the right tools in order to succeed, regardless of their industry. This includes the correct IT equipment (such as computers or laptops, smartphones etc) and the right knowledge to be able to communicate effectively. If your employees can talk about your business confidently, and operate efficiently; your customers may be more likely to trust and use your business in the future.
Invest in your employees through training programs
Employees naturally want to develop their skills and it’s important to provide training facilities to enable them to grow. There are plenty of free educational training courses available online so take a look at what they’d like to do and how this will benefit them and the business.
Thank your employees and recognise good work
Saying ‘thank you’ goes a long way – it’s easy and most importantly, costs nothing. By simply saying thanks to your employees, it will make them feel that their hard work has been recognised and appreciated. Different companies operate different ‘Reward Schemes’ where you can tailor and personalise your thank you to the employee. The key for a good Manager is not to forget to do this as in the long run you will probably retain your staff for longer.
Implement a reward scheme (it doesn’t have to break the bank!)
Recognition schemes are a great way to keep your employees motivated and will also encourage some friendly competition in the office. Reward schemes don’t have to break the bank, set a budget and let your employees choose what kind of rewards they would like to win to ensure that any money spent isn’t wasted. Keep your businesses culture in mind – what do your employees like doing in their personal time? Where do your employees like to go for social events? If your team often go for dinner, reserve a table at a local restaurant. If your team like to go to the pub, book a cocktail making class or something similar at a local bar. Having rewards your employees actually value, will give them something to aim for and achieve.
Be open and available
Your employee’s mindset and mental health is something that is often overlooked, but this should most certainly be a priority for business owners and managers. Having a friendly managerial team can change the entire dynamic of an office and your employees will feel that they can approach you with any issues or concerns they may be facing. As well as the managerial team, encourage an ‘open office’ dynamic where the entire team can liaise with each other and in turn encourage team working ‘one goal’ and all pulling together.
Set a good work-home life balance
Whilst it’s important to ensure that your employees are being productive throughout the day, it’s equally important to encourage a good work and home life balance. Scheduling or calling your employees in the evenings or over the weekend can cause them to feel demotivated and overworked. You have full control over how your employees work out of hours and can even set up policies that stop employees checking their emails whilst on holiday!
Keep it fresh
Getting into a routine at work is very easy, especially when you have to do the same tasks or checks over and over again! Be creative and switch up the routine frequently to keep your employees engaged and productive. For example: go out for meetings, mix it up between team brainstorming sessions and private thinking time or even let your employees work from home for a change of scenery.
Meeting booths are also a great solution for creating an alternative space for your employees to work. Meeting booths can come in all shapes and sizes, from telephone booths suitable for one person or large closed-off areas which can accommodate groups. Head over to our interiors site here to find out more about our range.
Offer responsibility and new challenges
It’s unlikely that you’ll find an employee who wants to stay in the same role, doing the same tasks day in day out for life. Don’t be scared to give your employees new challenges and responsibilities. It’s good to get them out of their comfort zone and try new things and develop in new areas. As long as they’re supported, they’ll make valuable contributions to the business and bring new, fresh ideas. You may also find the following article on How to Ensure Your Office Space Promotes Mental Wellness useful.
In summary, when people are engaged in their roles and in the business, they’re working for, it means better morale, a better atmosphere, less staff absence and greater productivity levels.
