Want to see increased productivity, decreased turnover, fewer sick days, and more innovative ideas from your employees? Make their working life better, and all of these great things will happen naturally in your workplace.
Research has shown a substantial difference in performance between happy employees and dissatisfied ones. One study reports that employees with a higher quality of work life:
- Take 66 percent less sick leave
- Spend 80 percent of their time on the job at work-related tasks (compared to 40 percent for unhappy employees)
- Have 180 percent more energy than the least satisfied employees in the workplace
As an employer, you can do several things to increase the quality of life for your employees—and they won’t cost you anything but a little time, effort, and thought.
Take the micro out of managing
Today’s workforce is filled with talented self-starters who perform better with freedom. No one can relax with a boss looking over their shoulder all day—and many employees, particularly millenials, are used to being given freedom and space to generate new ideas and innovation.
So ease back on the management leash, and watch your employees blossom into exceptional and productive problem-solvers.
Give out “gold stars” for reaching goals
Goal setting is a great way to encourage motivation and enthusiasm. With a daily or weekly target in sight, your employees will have something to work for—and their natural competitive instincts will drive them to reach those goals.
Of course, it’s a good idea to offer rewards to employees who meet their goals or targets. This doesn’t have to be cash—sometimes small rewards are the most appreciated. Incentivize great work by offering an extended lunch or a half-day off, and your employees will work even harder to attain those benchmarks.
Throw down the gauntlet
The happiest employees feel like they’re part of what’s happening with their company, and that their input is both welcomed and acted upon. To encourage this sense of belonging, challenge your employees to investigate and solve some of the problems within your organization, or to take on new tasks that may not fall within their regular job functions.
Involving employees with larger changes can strengthen loyalty and increase productivity, as they feel their actions will directly affect their own work environment.
Helpmates Staffing has worked with Southern California companies and its candidates for more than 40 years, providing highly qualified talent with leadership capabilities for companies like yours. Contact Helpmates today to learn more about what we can do for your management team and company culture.
