Even if you are a talented entrepreneur and have a great business plan, you will not be able to run your business successfully if you do not have good employees.
Hiring competent employees is only half the battle; you also have to make sure that your employees are happy if you want to get the most out of them. However, it is important that you do not create an overly liberal workplace, or you may have trouble maintaining discipline.
Job Satisfaction in the Workplace
According to a Forbes article entitled “Make More Money by Making Your Employees Happy“, a study report released by Bright Horizons in 2012 revealed that about 89 percent of employees who were experiencing high levels of well-being said that they were highly satisfied with their jobs, and almost two thirds of them put extra effort into their work on a consistent basis.
This shows that happy employees are usually more productive than those who are not satisfied, and they can be a great asset to your company. Nonetheless, this does not mean that you should do whatever it takes to keep your employees happy.
If you give them too much freedom when it comes to making work enjoyable, they may not be able to focus fully on their work. This can result in lower work quality and productivity.
Additionally, it is usually more difficult to maintain order in a workplace that is too liberal. To get optimal performance from your employees, you need to know how to strike the right balance between employee happiness and discipline.
How to Make Your Employees Happy and Productive
Your employees have to spend many hours in your office every workday, and it is natural for them to feel confined, tired, or uncomfortable from time to time. If you want them to perform their duties more competently, you have to try to keep them comfortable and relaxed throughout the day.
You can make work more bearable and enjoyable for your employees by allowing them to take more breaks, listen to music and use their personal devices, and wear casual clothes to work.
By doing so, you will not only improve their productivity; you will also help them reduce stress and stay healthy. They will feel especially appreciated and happy if you can show them that you really care about them.
For instance, you can give them free headphones to encourage them to listen to music while working. Headphones can be purchased at very low prices at major retailers such as Walmart, and they can go a long way in helping you create a relaxed work environment.
Other things that you can do to keep your employees happy and productive include providing a healthy and comfortable environment, promoting socialization, offering praise and rewards when they perform well, encouraging them to go on vacations and giving them new responsibilities.
Of course, you also need to offer competitive compensation and perks to your employees. Employer-employee relationships are reciprocal. A happy boss makes a happy workforce, and vice versa.
About the Author: John McMalcolm is a freelance writer who writes on a wide range of subjects, from social media marketing to Cloud computing.
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