As an employer, it is essential that you take steps toward creating a happier workforce. Here are some of the ways employers can increase job satisfaction.
1. Actively listen to your employees
One of the leading causes of workplace stress among employees is workload pressure – including too much responsibility, strict deadlines, and lack of managerial support. A recent study found that one-in-three workers are considering quitting their job due to bad managers. Chances are, these bosses don’t even know about the issues affecting their employees, especially in places where there is a culture of silencing certain topics.
When you listen up, your employees will step up. They will feel more valued and take a more active role in your business. Start by actively encouraging employees to provide their feedback and opinions, and where appropriate, make meaningful changes. You may have employees from different areas of the business select a representative through whom they can share their thoughts. In cases where the employees don’t yet feel comfortable speaking up, have in place an anonymous suggestion box. Ensure to take the feedback into serious consideration and act on it. This will show employees that you truly care about them and help improve their morale and job satisfaction.
2. Prioritize work-life balance
With the current state of the economy, employees are under intense pressure to work harder than ever. However, prioritizing work over personal life can be damaging for both your employees and business. Overburdened workers tend to be more withdrawn, stressed, fatigued, and at a higher risk of experiencing burnout. According to one survey, employees who feel that they have a good work-life balance are 21% more productive. Tracktime24.com makes it easy to manage and monitor workloads and implement flexible schedules.
If your business requires your staff to be at work for certain hours, ensure that they are able to leave on time. Managers should lead from above by ensuring that they also finish on time. You can also consider introducing a flexible work schedule if possible. This can include flexible start and finish times or the option to work from home.
3. Establish a career pathway
Besides bad managers, the next big reason why one in every three employees in the UK is considering quitting their job is due to the lack of a career progression. According to another study, for every additional ten months they stagnate in a role, they become 1% more likely to leave the company. Stagnation makes employees feel stuck, bored, and under-stimulated. Having a clear career pathway in place for each employee can help resolve this issue. This helps to improve job satisfaction and also helps the company to build a more skilled workforce.
Managers should be encouraged to discuss growth and development options with their teams. You need to identify the avenues they are interested in and come up with a plan together. While traditional training can be costly, it isn’t the only effective way of upskilling. Other options include having a mentor, job shadowing, and lateral movement to expand their skill set and experience.
4. Promote a culture of positivity
Psychologist Shawn Achor, in his Ted Talk, suggests that happiness inspires productivity and not the other way around. His research findings reveal that people with a positive outlook have a ‘happiness advantage’. Not only are they more productive and resilient, but are also less likely to burn out or quit. They have also been found to be better at selling. He has provided some tips to help you have a more positive outlook. Trying out the following for 21 days will help rewire your brain to a more optimistic setting:
- Noting down 3 things you are grateful for each day
- Exercising daily
- Writing about one positive experience you’ve had in the previous 24 hours
- Meditating regularly
- Engaging in random acts of kindness
Share this Ted Talk with employees – it can prove to be very helpful. For more engagement, consider playing it at lunchtime and offering the audience a free lunch. Or, you can hire a speaker to give a seminar on this topic.
5. Recognize and appreciate your employee's hard work
Rarely do employees become dissatisfied or leave solely because of money. In most cases, it is usually because they do not feel valued or appreciated enough. While simple, recognizing and appreciating good work can have a huge impact on your employees.
