Are your employees happy?

Have you ever wondered if your employees are happy? Bearing in mind your staff are one of your biggest assets, it’s crucial you treat them right if you want them to remain loyal and to deliver results. It’s important to remember that it’s through your employees that customer loyalty is built and sales are made.

Pete Pedone, president and founder of home audio/video system design firm Interactive Home believes “Bonuses, company perks and paid days off aren’t enough to keep employees happy nowadays. Showing an employee how much the company appreciates, respects and values them on a personal level is much more gratifying.”

We spend a lot of time at work, and we need to be making sure our staff are motivated, proactive and engaged. Looking after your staff will ensure they remain loyal to your business and will give you a competitive advantage in your market place. Here’s some handy tips on how you can achieve this:

Have a clear business focus. If the management aren’t sure what the company’s strategy and objectives are then the staff have no chance! Make sure you communicate clearly and regularly with your staff and keep them up to date on the company’s activities or offerings. Your staff need to understand your company culture and image to be able to deliver and sell your products or services.

Be flexible. It’s important to remember your staff do have a life outside of work. Some might have families or other commitments so try and create a flexible work environment, or offer remote working. Employees might have to attend an appointment or struggle with childcare, so being flexible will maximise productivity in the workplace as your staff will be happier and more engaged.

Help them grow. Offer your staff training opportunities or mentoring to support them and encourage personal development. Make sure your staff are aware of the opportunities and career paths which are available to them within your company. Make them feel like you want them to stay!

Reward and recognise. Achievement and recognition are high motivators for employees. Have an Employee of the Month award or incentives for hitting targets. It will make your staff feel valued and appreciated and will encourage staff loyalty.

Make them feel important. Employees like to feel as if they are in charge. When they have accountability and ownership for their work, they feel and act more responsibly towards the well-being of an organisation. Praise them for the good work they do to make them feel appreciated.

Consider benefits. Staff want much more than a competitive salary these days. You can offer a good pension, decent holiday packages, health care, childcare vouchers, gym membership or other schemes to entice new employees or keep your current work force engaged and happy. Show them that you care about them.

For more advice, or help with finding the right employee for your business, give us a call today!