Employers have long believed that liberal benefits, competitive wages, and perks like free food keep employees happy at work. However, studies are finding that abstract motivators like management appreciation and positive reinforcement foster on-the-job happiness.
If your employees are happy, you will reap the rewards of greater productivity and an enhanced bottom line.
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Appreciate Your Employees
Typically, management is quick to admonish employees for errors but slow to praise them for good work, perfect attendance, money-saving ideas, etc.
Make it your business to catch an employee doing something “above and beyond.” Humans thrive on praise. Rather than a casual “attaboy,” write them a note thanking them for their successful efforts.
Thank-you are free, and there is an unlimited supply of them. Anyway, you can’t buy the difference management appreciation will make on employee morale and motivation.
Employees Need Positive Reinforcement
In years past, many employers managed by intimidation, perhaps some still do. Intimidation is one way of controlling employees by making threats such as, “there’s the door if you don’t like…”.
Managers who subscribe to this tactic are living examples of how one rotten apple spoils the barrel. Working in unpleasant conditions like this will keep employees in a chronic state of fear. Fearful employees do not produce to their potential, because they are always worried about getting into trouble or getting fired.
A wise business owner/manager will seek ways to stamp out fear and replace it with positive reinforcement. For example, when an employee makes an error, let them know that mistakes show they are working. If the mistake was made because they didn’t know how to complete an assignment, ask an experienced employee to help them. Also, tell them not to be afraid to ask questions.
Once your employees understand you don’t condone a hostile working environment, they will stop stressing, morale will increase, and they will contribute their best efforts.
How to Keep your Employees Happy
Right Training
In addition to on-the-job training, consider engaging professional speakers to come to your premises and address topics such as work-life balance, stress management, or employee engagement. When employees are armed with solutions for their concerns, they are happier and more productive.
Power Naps
Companies such as Google, Huffington Post, and Uber have nap rooms or “energy pods,” which encourage employees to take a 20-30-minute power nap when needed. Napping helps enhance productivity when employees work long hours, weekends, or experience that afternoon “slump”.
Ask Employees What they Need
Your employees know how the company could help in their pursuit of on-the-job happiness. Just ask. Listen to their suggestions and/or complaints regarding an improved work environment. Implement suggestions that are affordable and explain to the employee if you can’t fulfil their wishes.
For instance, starting a free childcare centre on the premises is an excellent idea. But one that you may have to shelve until the company is more profitable. Often, the fact that the employer cares is enough to satisfy employees.
Paid Time Off (PTO)
PTO is a cost-effective gift you can award your employees. Play around with the idea and come up with PTO that benefits the employee and gets you a lot of mileage.
Days off for birthdays and anniversaries make employees happy, and since they happen on different days of the year, their PTO won’t empty out the office. How about mental health days? Figure out what is best for the company, such as a mental health day twice a year or bi-monthly. Give your employees a day off for every five years of service, i.e., on their 5th year, 10th year, 15th year, and so on.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, all employee perks don’t cost money the company doesn’t have to spend. Do what you can to keep your employees happy, and your bottom line will skyrocket.
Investing in your employee education benefits program is like investing in any other part of your business. You want to ensure your employee is getting a quality education, and your company is getting a motivated and loyal worker. In other words, you want a respectable return on your investment.
The surest way to meet this goal is to have a tuition assistance program that is consultative in structure and directed in execution. In other words, your employee’s education plan should be a cooperative agreement between you and your employee.
A Consultative Approach Requires Two Things
First, you need an agreed upon plan about what the employee will study. Second, your company should offer them a flexible schedule so they can meet the requirements of their plan.
Employees want a framework for achieving their educational goals. Besides the counselors at the school, you should also have somebody guiding them at your company. A mentor for the employee is recommended because the mentor has the benefit of experience. Also, studies show mentorships build loyalty and employee engagement with both the mentor and the person being mentored.
Many employees have been out of school for a long time, and they will want guidance when it comes to choosing classes. Likewise, you want to make sure they are choosing classes relevant to your company and their workspace.
What The Initial Conversation Should Cover
On the initial meeting with the employee have a conversation about goals and outcomes. It will be different for every employee. Some may wish to obtain a college degree while others want a technical or professional certification that will help them in their career.
Align their interests with the needs of your company. A plan based on mutually agreed upon goals and outcomes means they will obtain their goal faster, and you will be able to keep your costs lower.
Create a loose schedule about what training the employee will need to meet the goal, and what your tuition assistance program (TAP) will provide for them besides reimbursement.
What ‘Creating A Schedule’ Really Means
A timeline requires more than many people expect. You may need to release the employee from work at critical times during your production/work cycle. Or, you may need to have a dedicated space and computers for them to take online classes at your facility.
This may not seem like a problem. However, if you operate a company that has ‘crunch’ times, it will be hard to let them go to class when you want them working.
Don’t Forget Recognition
Don’t let an employee feel adrift or alone on their educational journey. Have regular meetings and assessments to see their rate of progress and to help them over any stumbling blocks. These meetings could be between the employee and direct supervision, or with the mentor. Don’t make the meeting beyond the employee and a directly involved person. You don’t want them to feel like they are being watched by an inordinate amount of people.
Finally, when an employee successfully obtains their educational goal, recognise them publicly for their achievement.
There are two reasons for this:
-Everybody likes to be recognised for their hard work and sacrifice. Undoubtedly, the employee has sacrificed personal time and energy on achieving their goal.
-Their success is a powerful motivator for other employees. This encourages them to also take advantage of the program.
Educating your employees is a powerful investment for your company. Since you took the time to develop a TAP, take the time to come up with a plan that will maximise your return on the investment you made in the program.
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We make our employees feel valued and appreciated. We connect with the employees which has helped us form a dedicated, long-term team. We have a diverse team where everyone is unique and have excellent communication with their colleagues and they focus on goals and results which makes our team unique.
We communicate openly with each other, sharing our thoughts, opinions and ideas with members of our team; as well as taking into consideration what others have to say. Each member of the team contributes their fair share of the workload and fully understand what their responsibilities are and where they fit in with the running of the business. They feel a sense of belonging to the team, are committed to their work and really care about the success of the company.
Everyone in our team is unique and is able to offer their own experiences and knowledge that others may not possess. Diversity is needed so that all of the required skills are covered by somebody in the team and each individual can be assigned a particular role on the basis of their strengths and skills. A variety of personalities, age groups, cultures, etc. also brings creativity and a broad range of ideas to the table.