How To Create Happiness In The Workplace
Let’s be honest: with all that’s going on in the world right now, it’s kind of hard to become optimistic—especially at work. The combined stress of surviving in a pandemic while trying to accomplish deliverables can get overwhelming. Sure, it is easier to spurt words of encouragement and glorify resilience, but it can only do so much to keep employees going.
In the era of the Great Resignation, ensuring the retention of employees should be a top priority. Employees nowadays are reorienting the role that a job plays in their lives. The world is becoming harder to navigate, and people are keener to stay in jobs that offer the flexibility and compensation of a better quality of life.
In this article, we’ll outline some simple tips to help employers kickstart a positive environment to boost your employees’ morale! This is a continuation of our Happiness At Work series which includes our previous posts on Why Keeping Employees Happy Is Important and What To Do When You Can't Find Happiness At Work.
Reinventing Employee Management
It’s already a given that employers must adapt to the needs of their employees. But more than that, this change in the work landscape should also encourage employers to take a closer look at how they are managing people.
How flexible are work options? What measures are employers taking to make work satisfying despite the challenges we all face right now? Are managers asking employees today (or ever) about how they feel? Are they happy?
As an employer, keeping your employees happy is highly important. But the main question is: how? Moving beyond traditional work practices, how can you create happiness in your workplace while ensuring that your business goals are achieved?
Simple Gestures Go A Long Way
It doesn't have to be grand for it to matter. Start the practice of putting importance on the well-being of your employees by checking on them regularly. It can be in the form of a weekly catch-up to talk about what’s going on in their lives, or a daily check-in on their health and emotions.
In my experience, a simple “how are you today?” helps to set the tone of my workday. It’s a question that affirms I am more than what my outputs are; that my feelings are not quantifiable by my productivity.
Getting to know your employees lets you capture the best plan of action to work on initiatives that empower and encourage them further. Remember, they are humans too--a mother, a son, a kid at heart (that enjoys fun hobbies), before they are employees.
Encourage Individual Growth
Your employees should grow alongside your business. Providing them with room to explore opportunities and career options that can help them showcase their talents and abilities beyond their scope of work.
In my past work, my employer gives out course vouchers from various educational sites, and you can spend them on whichever field you want to try. I found it exciting and fun to know myself better. It pushed me through my limits and made me try out new things that I never thought I would enjoy.
It’s a bonus if a company shows support for the personal growth of its employees. More than the personal satisfaction it gives, fostering a positive environment also helps employee retention—which can be hard to achieve nowadays.
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Learn From Feedback—and Take Action!
Employees engage better when they feel seen and heard. Take their feedback as a basis on how you plan and execute your employee management plans. If an employee raises good points, inform them on how you plan to take action and act on them. It will establish your integrity and capability to listen as an employer.
You are your actions more than your words. And trust me, in today’s workplace, a leader who can listen to his subordinates is a green flag that employees stay for.
Offer Flexible Work Arrangements
The rise of remote work setups and flexible hours is an employee magnet. When you hire people remotely, it means you trust them to deliver the job without micromanaging and seeing them face to face.
As someone who has worked remotely and onsite, I can say that it gives a different kind of fulfillment to work from anywhere. Aside from getting away from the horrible traffic of commuting to work, it also offers more room to explore hobbies and make time for the important people in my life. I can say that remote work significantly improved my life for the better.
Currently, most talents are looking for employers that can offer this flexibility to manage their time at work at their own pace. However, not every company can adopt this work model, so the least you can do is ensure that your employees still have a life outside of work by offering more day-offs or enforcing a hybrid setup.
You might be surprised at how employees value non-monetary incentives like this in the modern era of work. After all, time is something you can’t ever replace with money.
Include DEI In Business Goals
Inclusivity is an essential part of a happy workplace. Employers who enforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) values in their work environment foster a safe and creative workspace for employees from all walks of life.
I can’t highlight the importance of having a safe workspace where people respect each other’s beliefs and boundaries. It’s a breath of fresh air to know that there are companies that let you share your ideas and practice your beliefs without the fear of being judged or discriminated against.
A comfortable space should be one of the management’s priorities in cultivating a workplace. People are becoming more involved in the social realities that we currently face, so, it’s a must for employers to practice values that place the protection of their employees at its center.
The Takeaway:
Employees will stay if they’re happy and fulfilled!
It takes effort and careful planning to ensure that your employees are getting the right balance of work and play. But these advantages translate into retention, and in the long run, loyalty—a good reference for future talents who might want to join your company.
Related:
3 Ways To Determine If An Employer Supports Mental Health At Work
5 Reasons Why College Students Should Take a Mental Health Day
Meet The Writer!
Hi! I’m Regi Publico and I’m a full-time writer who is also an artist for fun. I take pride in my towering collection of books and love reading about anything under the sun. I’m passionate about sharing knowledge through every article I write. If this resonates with you, let’s connect! You can email me at regi.content2021@gmail.com to work with me.
