Employee satisfaction at work continues to be on a downward trend, with the majority of the U.S. workforce consistently reporting feeling disengaged and disconnected at work. There are things you can do from the management side of things. While employee satisfaction is not something that can be changed overnight, there are specific steps you can take toward boosting your employees’ individual happiness levels. With the holidays right around the corner, it’s the perfect time of year to take inventory of how you are showing your employees you appreciate their hard work and value their contributions to your company. Start with these three steps and your employee appreciation might just translate to happiness by the time the new year rolls around.
1. Show you value their time
Overworked employees that feel underappreciated are typically the first ones out the door. Consider ways you can show your employees you value their time – whether that’s providing flexible work hours, offering remote work opportunities or encouraging employees to actually use their vacation days. A reported 54 percent of Americans did not use their vacation time in 2016, leaving a collective 662 million vacation days on the table. If your employees aren’t taking the PTO you’ve generously given them, make it a point to find out why and find ways to encourage them to use their PTO. Employees that take breaks are happier and more productive – it’s in the best interest of both you and your employees.
2. Provide opportunities for growth
When employees feel stuck in their position without a clear path toward advancement, disengagement is right around the corner. The best way to battle this is to map out continuing education and training opportunities that demonstrate to employees that you care about their professional development, ideally for advancement within your company. Keep an eye on key industry topics for continuing education opportunities. Hold regular meetings with middle managers with the intent of checking the pulse of individual employees’ emerging talents outside of their current role. Seek opportunities outside of your company that serve as continuing education opportunities as well, such as industry conferences, networking opportunities, etc.
3. Schedule social gatherings
Whether it’s a quarterly employee appreciation breakfast, regular happy hour outings, or monthly birthday celebrations – make sure to include these important social breaks in your employees’ busy schedules. Not only will you be giving employees permission to take a step back from their work with these activities, but you’ll be demonstrating that you value them as individuals above all else. Plus, encouraging regular social interaction will ultimately make your team stronger as a whole. Maybe take a poll and find out what kind of appreciation events matter most to your employees to encourage genuine participation in these activities.
True employee happiness starts with management showing appreciation for their employees each and every day. It’s the thoughtful gestures that will add up to your employees looking forward to coming into work every day. Make sure your actions and the company culture demonstrate that you value and appreciate your employees above the results they bring to the table. At the end of the day, your company is made up of people. Make those people feel like you truly care and you’ll be helping them toward happiness and fulfillment at work.
Looking for additional ways you can support employee happiness in the workplace? Check out our recent blog on ways to help employees de-stress.
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