While raising your employees’ salaries can help put a smile on their faces, it is not the only way to keep them happy. Increasing work-life balance, being transparent, and providing better benefits will all help to boost employee morale. The three methods to make employees happy are discussed below.
1. Create a good office work environment
The working environment heavily influences workplace happiness. Creating an excellent physical layout can boost employee ecstasy in several ways. Below are 2021 trends that define how an ideal office environment should be.
- Windows to allow artificial lighting.
- Live green plants for healthy air to breathe and have that natural feel.
- Air quality filter if your office is located in a polluted environment.
- Have both individual and collaborative desks to give employees—freedom of choice of which space aligns with their work style.
- Proper office equipment and software. Supply the office with proper office equipment like pens, sticky notes, paper, staplers, paper clips, writing apps, note-taking apps, online collaboration software, and time clock software like PayClock. PayClock Online is web-based clock software that allows you to manage employee time and attendance from anywhere and anytime.
- Kitchen and breakroom for nutrient-rich office snacks. This will allow employees to access or store healthy food of their choice and snacks.
- Sit-stand desks. People boost energy, reduce back pain, and improve their posture by standing and changing positions.
2. Give benefits that matter
Given the diversity of your employees, not all benefits will be accepted equally. Others would like a gym membership, while others would like their boss to give them office leave. The best way to determine which benefit packages are appropriate for your employees is to communicate with them regularly. To identify their special benefits package, conduct an office-wide survey to determine each employee’s most essential benefits types. Benefits can be classified into several subcategories. They are as follows:
Healthcare benefits
Basic medical coverage at minimum is encouraged. Adding family coverage for children and spouses, either voluntarily or due to the Affordable Care Act mandate, will be another source of happiness.
Other benefits include dental, vision, and short-long term disability coverage.
Financial benefits
It involves offering benefits that help employees meet their financial obligations and goals. The 401(K) retirement plans aid employees in planning for their future. Offering life insurance is another way to make your employees have peace of mind as they and their loved ones are protected.
Work-life balance
Paid leave and resources to balance work-life creates immense employee happiness. Offering personal and vacation days is another way to go. Some common ways that many organizations have used include:
- Remote work.
- Flexible scheduling like providing shifts.
- Maternity and paternity leave.
- Professional development like on-job training and tuition reimbursement.
- Gym membership.
3. Create a transparent workplace
When you create a transparent workplace, you are creating a workplace culture that translates to workplace happiness. This will affect how your employees feel when they arrive at work. As soon as you enter a non-transparent workplace, your employees will become stressed and anxious. A transparent workplace will make your employees more relaxed, productive, and, most importantly, happy. How do you foster workplace transparency?
- Be transparent with your expectations.
From day one of orientation, let your employees know what is expected of them. Inform them how they will come to understand various information in the office. Please give them a clear deadline calendar for multiple projects. The bottom line is to ensure that everyone is on the same page to avoid others lagging.
- Provide avenues for communications.
Create a resource for them to use in expressing their thoughts and concerns. Ensure your team members have adequate communication channels with you and their team members. This can be through email or chat software like Slack.
- Lead by example.
Set a good example by answering any questions your team may have. Allowing your employees to know you are available when they need you increases their chances of successfully implementing transparency.
Conclusion
Happy employees are excellent workers. Maintaining employee happiness is critical for any organization’s growth. An organization that provides a positive working environment for its employees also provides meaningful benefits to them. Besides, maintaining a transparent workplace environment will undoubtedly have satisfied and productive employees.
