The emotional well-being of your employees can quite literally make or break your company, which is why you should prioritize keeping them happy. Staff happiness is one of the most fundamental factors in running a successful, profitable business, so it’s in your best interest to do what’s in your power to make this happen.
The easiest and quickest way to increase employee satisfaction is to bump up the wage of your team members, but this isn’t the only way. If your business simply cannot afford to do this, that’s OK! Here are 6 secrets to keeping employees happy, without increasing salary.
- Encourage a good work-life balance
As a boss, you must recognize that your employees have lives beyond the workplace. Failing to understand this – and failing to act accordingly – will only create a flat environment with unmotivated, unhappy employees. Considering one in two (52%) UK employees admit that their work regularly eats into their personal life, it’s clear this is a very real problem that needs to be addressed imminently. Encourage your staff to make good use of their annual leave entitlement, be as lenient as possible if they need to shuffle their hours, and take an interest in their personal achievements.
- Listen to what they have to say
Don’t be the type of boss who pretends to listen to an employee without actually taking their words and thoughts into consideration. Maybe they have an idea to boost sales, or perhaps it’s a complaint regarding another staff member? Truly listen to them and, as a result, keep them happy to work for you.
- Show them that you truly care
As a boss, a simple way to keep your staff content is to make them feel protected in the event of injury or illness. Unfortunately, these things can happen, and there aren’t currently many courses of action to safeguard both the employee and the business. What you do have, however, is the option of group income protection insurance, a great way of looking after their financial, mental, and physical wellbeing if they’re off work sick for a prolonged time.
- Take team-building activities seriously
Investing in social events and team-building activities is necessary. It will have a hugely positive effect on employee happiness, as well as the social dynamics of the company as a whole.
- Praise both big and small milestones
Whether an employee has achieved something huge like meeting a serious target, or something smaller like popping to the supermarket for coffee when the kitchen is running low, make sure you praise them! With compliments lighting up the same part of the brain that gets activated when you receive a monetary reward, this is a simple (and free!) way to keep staff happy.
- Don’t micromanage them
The quickest way to disengage an employee is to make them feel as though they’re being micromanaged. Nobody likes that, and nobody would stick around in a workplace with a boss who’s doing it. Of course, it’s understandable that you want a clear idea of what your employees are doing and the targets they’re hitting, but give them some freedom. If you can’t trust an employee then they shouldn’t even be an employee.