We all want to create a workplace culture that adds to our employees’ lives. We all want happy, satisfied employees who do great work, stick around, and find joy in their work. But, depending on the size of your business and the type of work your employees do, striking this balance can be a challenge.
In manufacturing, for example, the human resources team likely has their hands full managing challenges that are way more time consuming and essential functions of business: retaining employees, recruiting, managing problems, and keeping employee unions satisfied. It can be hard to focus energy and prioritize employee satisfaction.
It might seem counter-intuitive, but prioritizing your employee satisfaction is well worth the time investment.
Satisfied employees stick around and do better work. Satisfied employees help to foster satisfaction among their colleagues, ultimately building a more positive workplace culture.
How do you build satisfaction among your employees? There are many tactics you can – and should use – but at the center of all of them is once central theme: appreciation.
Ultimately, your employees are choosing to work at your company. They have weighed the benefits and the risks, they have made sacrifices to choose their position (time with their family, personal time, other potential positions), and they have agreed to do the task at hand for the wages and benefits you offer. Each day, they make that choice again when they come to work.
We all go through tough seasons in our workplace and on those days, the choice can feel more difficult. But, when you as an employee feel valued, it’s easier to keep daily choosing your workplace.
So, the question we need to ask ourselves is, “How can we demonstrate our appreciation to our employees every day?”
Appreciation has to be tied to more than achievement, and it doesn’t have to be complex. It can be as simple as offering some free snacks in the lunch room, celebrating birthdays, or saying thank you to your staff at every turn. You can get creative with your perks – partner with local arts and culture organizations and offer tickets to your employees, for example. Give them opportunities to celebrate each other.
Employees who know that they are appreciated for their work simply have a better mindset about the work and the workplace. They see themselves as part of a team, not as an “us versus them.”
If you’d like to read more about how to retain your employees and create a happy workplace culture, check out our Human Resources Guide to Communication – our free downloadable eBook about this very thing!