It is still so surprising to find out that not a lot of companies see the effect of employee attitudes in their productivity and efficiency.
Employee Satisfaction
Think of your time in school, for instance. There were times when you got bored talking about dates and names in history class, right? But the moment the teacher started discussing the action, the drama, and the politics behind history’s biggest events — that is when your eyes suddenly light up and your whole attitude about the subject changes. The same concept applies to your human capital. Your talent pool is already involved in the nitty gritty of company work, what you need to provide as an employer is an environment that boosts their initial motivation further, not dampen it.
Sure you can raise their salary and add more incentives so they would be willing to get more workload, but there are better ways to improve employee satisfaction in the office.
Promote Work-Life Balance
If you have not observed yet, the trend nowadays is flexi time and work-from-home programs. Part of doing this is minimizing operational expenses, especially for start-up companies who cannot afford either a bigger office or high utilities expenses. But more than that, it is a strategy that gives employees control over their schedule — a way for them to plan doing other things besides work for the day. Some of them may want to learn a new language or improve their artistic hobbies. Instead of giving them a reason to leave the company and losing significant talent, why not just give them the opportunity to attend to their interests by giving them control over their work schedule.
Of course, this does not mean that they can just work whenever they feel like working, there is still a system to flexi time and work-from-home programs. You can set the rules for your chosen work program, but reiterate that they still have to work the required hours.
Additionally, you will be making it easy for them to commute to work. Traffic is frustrating enough, you do not want that kind of energy in the office. Being able to schedule their trips before or after rush hour lessens the stress of commuting.
Encourage Healthy Living
It is universally known that office work can be a little unhealthy. Think about it: your employees are in front of their screens most of the time, standing up only to take their one hour lunch break or to go to the restroom. That kind of lifestyle causes various health problems like back pain.
The first initiative you can take is educating them about this. Hold seminars if you can and show them how they can work around this problem. Next, you can provide standing desks they can use in turn, you can even stock your pantry fridge with healthy snacks. Lastly, if you can, avail of gym memberships for the whole office. You can partner up with the local gym and ask them for a discount.
Get Involved in their Growth
More than just the salary, what employees actually want is an opportunity to grow and learn. You can get involved in their growth by providing them with seminars and lessons they will need to improve their skills. Do not hesitate to give them the proper training because you will also benefit from what they will learn.
Encourage Social Relations
Image Source: Pixabay
Allow them to celebrate birthdays or special holidays together. In fact, give each department a role in planning office events so that they will give their 110% in making your gatherings extra fun. By doing this, you are giving each cluster a chance to meet with people from other groups — in a way, you are strengthening office camaraderie.
Find ways to break up routines as well. Maybe you can ask them if they want board games in the office so they can take breaks in between work. Or how about dedicate a day when each department hosts a short office game so that everyone is given a chance to relax for a couple of minutes before going back to work.
Remember that being their boss is more than just being able to delegate tasks; it is about making sure everyone is motivated to do the best work they can to ensure your vision is fulfilled. Your human capital is the reason your company is growing, so give them enough non-monetary incentive to stay.
Featured Image Source: Pixabay
