The most successful companies tend to be the ones that have the most satisfied employees. Employees who are happy at work and satisfied with their employment are usually more motivated, creative and productive. They’ll often go above and beyond – not because they feel like they need to, but because they want to. Happy workers are almost 50% more likely to stay loyal to a company, which not only means that the business has a dedicated team but also reduces costly staff turnover. On the flip side, employees who really don’t enjoy being in work cost businesses in the US a whopping $300 billion in sick time, days off, and mistakes each year.
With that in mind, taking steps to keep your employees happy should be a top priority. And, a happy workplace isn’t something that just happens – it’s the product of physical and intangible changes and strategies that boost workplace morale and create more harmony. Here are some simple things that you can do starting today to create a better office environment for your team.
1. Turn Up the Music
Playing some upbeat, happy music is always going to put people in a good mood – unless you’re all working on something that needs complete concentration and focus, music can be a simple yet effective way to lift the mood in the office, and talking about music preferences can be a good way to bring people together and help to strengthen workplace relationships, too.
2. Increase Natural Lighting
Not only does natural lighting look better, but there is also a strong connection between more natural light in the workplace and the quality of employee’s energy. A study carried out by the neurology department at Northwestern University found that employees who work in offices with windows received 173% more light from the sun while at work, and sleep 46 minutes extra per night than those who do not. As a result, workers were more rested and able to come to work in a better frame of mind.
3. Make it Comfortable
Anybody knows that they feel better when they are in an environment that’s comfortable, pleasant and attractive – both at work and at home. Employees spend a huge chunk of their week in the workplace, so make sure that it is a comfortable place for them to be by cleaning away any clutter, getting rid of broken equipment, making minor repairs as soon as possible and making sure that the air conditioning and heating units are working correctly. Invest in the office space by bringing in comfortable, ergonomic furniture, updated equipment, comfortable bathrooms with urinal screens, indoor plants, and providing quality drinks and snacks. Not only will the positive environment have an impact on their mood and performance, but your employees will also appreciate you taking the time to consider their wellbeing at work.
4. Provide Some Recreational Areas
Sometimes, everybody has to take a few minutes breather from their work and go and do something that doesn’t require a lot of brainpower. If you can, make some room in the office for recreation – this could be something as simple as providing a pool table or a couch where employees can relax and watch TV on their break, or you could go all out and create a designated room for employees to relax and have fun. Your team members will enjoy having somewhere that they can blow off steam between work tasks, and engaging in friendly games with others can lead to better relationships between employees and improved teamwork.
5. Think Outside the Box
Several modern companies, such as Netflix, have begun to experiment with offering outside-the-box benefits, like providing unlimited days off to their employees. If you’re worried that providing this benefit would lead to too much absenteeism, you needn’t – research has found that employees who have access to unlimited time off from work actually come to work for more days than those who have a set limit for their vacation days. It works in a similar way to ‘pay as you feel’ pricing; when people are made to come up with their own value system, on average they will step up to the plate and make the right choice. And, bear in mind that the work being done well rather than how many days it takes to get it done is the most important thing in the workplace.
6. Invest in Your Employees
Finally, a happy office environment is one where employees know that they are valued and invested in. This could be through offering paid-for training to help employees improve their career outlook, or offering tuition reimbursements like a number of companies today such as Bank of America, Apple, and Starbucks. By providing employees reimbursement on pricey tuition fees, they will be able to improve their skills and in turn be a better asset to your company.
A happy workplace environment makes for more productive, loyal employees.
