Your employees are your internal customers. The happier they are, the more likely they will show dedication to your business. As front-liners of your establishment, they can make or break your operations. This is why creating a conducive work environment that makes your staff feel welcome is recommended. Statistics indicate that 41% of employees feel worried about their places of work, while others are unduly stressed and demotivated. The following tips should help you navigate this in your quest to be an exemplary employer.
- Develop a modern work environment
One of the first things that motivate employees is the work environment. The physical appearance of the office makes a huge impression on the minds of the people you work with. Smart tools, a clean space, a safe atmosphere, and accessibility are the four qualities you should aim for. A building with peeling paint, cracked walls, bad décor, and questionable security doors make employees edgy. More importantly, it doesn’t create a picture of a modern work environment.
A comfortable eating area, chat/game rooms, and things of the sort are characteristics of modern offices. If you cannot provide all these and more, it would help to have the basics that help enhance employee comfort. Sometimes, it becomes important to change things around the office, especially when modernizing. Why don’t you ask your employees to contribute design ideas? After all, they work there and are the right people to solicit ideas from.
- Encourage or provide channels for professional & self-development
The more self-development platforms you provide for your staff, the higher the chances of having a dedicated team. Your employees need the opportunity to develop themselves, especially in critical areas of the job and roles. Areas like digital marketing, customer service, project handling, finance management, and leadership are crucial to modern businesses. The more knowledgeable your staff members are about their roles, the more they will appreciate their relevance to your business. Furthermore, employees naturally feel a sense of gratitude to businesses that contributed to their professional development journey. For the 21st century business, it would help to introduce a digital learning platform to make training easier.
- Provide transparent and clear communication channels
Communication at the workplace yields favorable business outcomes, team cohesion, and staff happiness. Employers are expected to lead and direct the communication path at the workplace. This is particularly important for new hires still finding their feet within the company. Communication tools like project schedules, briefs, employee handbooks, and a regularly updated intranet can help.
It is also important to establish rapport with your employees. Large businesses often adopt horizontal and vertical communication channels because of the advantages both offer. Fortunately, you don’t have to operate a large business to employ these techniques. Regardless of your company’s size, what matters most is how everybody understands their role, utilizes feedback, and appreciates the transparency of effective communication.
Finally, it always helps to encourage creativity and innovation among your staff. It gives them a sense of ownership toward the business, which automatically brings dedication.