Talk to any successful business owner, and chances are they will tell you that one of the keys to their success is having staff who enjoy their work. This is why the happiness of employees is amongst the top priorities for business owners today. But what are the things that can really motivate your people to work at their best?
For many people, the first thing that comes to mind is money. Pay your staff more and they’ll be happier, right? Well, while financial reward is a factor, it seems that the old adage that money can’t buy happiness also rings true in the workplace. According to Glassdoor Economic Research, culture and values are on the top spot while compensation and benefits only make it to 5th place.
In striving for employee satisfaction, companies around the world instead use various strategies to attract the right candidates and retain their best people. And for good reason too! Job satisfaction results in cost reduction. It reduces work errors, conflicts, absences, and turnover.
Unfortunately there isn’t one definitive factor that guarantees staff happiness, however, there are a number of strategies that can be implemented that will definitely put you on the right path.
10 things that really matter to your team
1. Great working environment
Each week your staff spend a lot of hours at work. It’s therefore important that have good working conditions. Give them spacious and comfortable workspaces with ample lighting. A clean and safe office will help them do their jobs a lot easier and make them feel far more comfortable and productive. Being in a supportive and friendly work environment also helps promote overall development.
2. Opportunity to grow
Many people love new and challenging tasks at work. They see it as a way to enhance their abilities. It can also make them feel that you trust them and have confidence in them when you give them a tough job. People are often satisfied when you give them opportunities to scale up the ladder. Encourage them to keep on developing new skills that could lead to promotion.
3. Manage staff workloads
While staff generally like challenges, continually giving them heavy workloads and extremely tight deadlines is likely to only lead to stress. No matter how dedicated your staff may be, they’ll end up hating their jobs. Your staff want to deliver for you, but when they fail to meet deadlines, it’s common to see a drop in motivation and can even lead to conflict between them and their supervisors. Don’t just delegate indiscriminately. Take the time to monitor open and upcoming tasks, and wherever possible, give your staff enough time to successfully complete their assigned tasks.
4. Respectful workplace
A happy workplace is where everyone treats one another with respect. When conflicts arise in the workplace, leaders should be able to step in and resolve them quickly before they escalate or are left to fester. This will help avoid serious issues that require disciplinary action, and upset the office dynamics. Take the time to think about what behaviours inside your office might be considered inappropriate? It helps to remind your staff of these things from time to time.
5. Staff recognition
One of the common reasons that staff leave a company is because they feel neglected by their managers. You want your staff to work hard for you, so when they do, take the time to acknowledge their accomplishments and efforts. It’s also important to let your staff know that they’re always welcome to discuss or share any concerns with you. Having good relationships with supervisors has a real effect on performance.
6. Fair & consistent policies
Staff are happy with their job when they know that their company managers are fair in making decisions about promotions. People often become demotivated when policies that are seen as being unfair are being implemented. Of course what is considered unfair is different from person to person, but you can minimise the risk of workplace disharmony by ensuring that your company develops and practices systems and policies that are just, equal, and consistent.
7. Effective feedback
Are you looking for ways to boost your staff’s morale? Try to show them your appreciation no matter how small their job is. Make them feel that what they’re doing matters. When they feel encouraged at work, it will lead to an increase in productivity and efficiency. Compliment them when they did something good or offer suggestions on how they can further improve. People can get disheartened when they don’t receive any feedback.
8. Special incentives
Financial rewards are a significant factor when it comes to job satisfaction. For many, receiving proper compensation means that the management values their contribution to the company. You need to have a proper system for evaluating your staff’s performance. This way, you can offer salary increases to those who perform well. Chances to earn bonuses or paid vacations can also increase motivation and enthusiasm in the workplace.
9. Flexible work hours
Time is one of the greatest workplace perks you can offer. People often work best when you give them an opportunity to choose their own work schedule. Some are more productive in the morning while others produce greater results at night. Flexible hours help increase staff engagement. It’s also an excellent way to let your staff members know that you trust them.
10. Work-life balance
Work-life balance is an important factor for people when choosing a company. While issues at home could affect performance at work, office problems have a greater effect on one’s personal life. It’s important for your staff to have time off work so they can detach themselves from it and recharge. They need to have enough time for both work and play. Giving them time to rest could help increase their productivity at the office.
Balance your life and work with Cloudstaff
While some perks only motivate staff for a short time, it’s the overall company culture that brings long-term effects to staff happiness and sense of purpose.
Here at Cloudstaff, we invest in perks like free lunches, coffees, ice creams, and beers. But more than these, we also organise regular dinners and team building activities. It allows both staff members and customers to spend time with one another outside of work.
Cloudstaff is extremely proud of the culture we have built over the years. We focus on creating workspaces that our teams enjoy. Our offices are designed with both productivity and relaxation in mind. We provide breakout rooms with video games, pool tables, and more because we want our staff to feel right at home.
We are also very selective with our office locations. All Cloudstaff offices are located next to public transport hubs to make getting to and from work as quick and easy as possible.
All of our staff work hard, and we like to reward them for their efforts. We do whatever we can to give them what they need to grow in their personal and professional lives. This, in turn, encourages them to work towards the goals of our customers as well.
It’s also why we have a staff retention rate of 98.1% staff retention rate as verified by BDO, giving Cloudstaff one of the highest retention rates in the industry.
Ready to build a motivated team with Cloudstaff? Choose the people you want, the skills you need and workspace options that suit your business. We will take care of everything. Just email us at info@cloudstaff.com to learn how.
Previous blogs: