Tips for Building a Happier Workforce

It’s been proven time and time again—a happier workforce is a more productive workforce. There are many things you can do to boost morale and make employees feel valued, some of which are inexpensive or even free. Either way, taking an interest in the well-being of your employees is taking an interest in the future success of your business.

People, of course, work for a paycheck, but they also want to know that their work means something. They want to see the bigger picture. You can show them by sharing the goals of the company. Hold a meeting every quarter to explain what goals were met and what is going to happen moving forward. Be sure to recognize individuals who contributed to past goals that were achieved. This is a great way to acknowledge work well done and show employees how their work fits into the future goals of the business.

You can take this a step further by asking workers to share their ideas and opinions on how to achieve the new set of goals. This allows people to participate and may even lead to ideas that you hadn’t previously thought of. Indicate that people are always welcome to email ideas or slip them into a suggestion box, for those who are too shy to speak up during a large meeting.

Similar to wanting to be a part of the big picture, employees also want to have a career path. In fact, one of the top reasons for employees leaving is that there isn’t enough opportunity for growth. Take some time, perhaps during an annual performance review, to ask workers about their career goals and where they would like to be five or ten years down the road. With a clear idea of the ultimate goal, you can work to establish opportunities that help employees work toward their goal, growing their skill set along the way.

Physical activity relieves tension and stress, which are both frequent occurrences in the workplace. Encourage employees to get up and stretch or take a ten minute walk in the afternoon. If you have a short touch-base meeting planned with one to three workers, plan a walking meeting so you all can get moving for a bit. Similarly, team building events can relieve everyday stresses, as well as create bonds between employees which allow them to work better together. Try going out for team lunches or participating in community service as a team. The more you do to make employees feel like part of a valuable team, the better they are likely to feel about themselves and their work.

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