When candidates are looking for a job, they’re probably not thinking to themselves: “I want to switch it up and look for a company where all my coworkers are miserable.
”There are a plethora of reasons why companies want happier employees. For instance, if employees are happy they’ll stay longer, work harder, and increase their productivity at work.
However, it can be hard to pinpoint where and how to make changes to increase employee happiness. Don’t worry, Blueboard has done the hard work for you. Check out a few of our tried and true ways to boost the happiness of your employees.
Form a Great Manager/Employee Relationship
Recognize progress
Don’t leave your employees to wonder “are they seeing me?”
When you see your employees doing awesome work, tell them. Don’t just assume that they know. This can be done by saying “you’re doing a great job, you’ve grown so much in your role.” Or it can be done through thoughtful gestures like a nicely written letter or an experience. Blueboard offers experiential rewards to recognize your top employees. These experiences can range from going bungee jumping with their best friend, to bringing their family to Disney.
Build trust
Don’t just tell your employees you trust them, show them.
There are various ways to demonstrate your trust to an employee. Sometimes, it’s as simple as not micromanaging. Other times, it’s giving your employee a big task to let them know you believe in them. Be sure to know who your employee is and show your trust in a way that’s impactful to them.
Encourage Employee Growth
Host career growth roundtables
Allow employees to ask questions about their future in a comfortable setting.
This isn’t just beneficial for your employees - it’s also beneficial for you because it’ll encourage your team to open up and have an honest conversation about their career goals. Having that career commitment talk with your boss can be awkward for employees, so having a structured time and safe environment to start the conversation can be very helpful.
Make learning and development accessible
There are so many amazing tools online to help your employees learn more about their field and beyond, so allow your employees to tap into those opportunities.
If your company has a set learning and development budget, encourage your employees to utilize those dollars. Depending on company size, companies are spending an average of $290,000-$13,000,000 on employee training per year. Learning and development programs allow you to create opportunities for engagement and help you attract and retain good employees. If your company doesn’t currently have a continuing learning budget, there are also a ton of free workshops that your employees can check out. Sites like Meetupand Eventbriteare great sites for training events.
Create a Company Environment Employees Enjoy
Have healthy snacks in the office
Healthy foods fuel employees for success.
83% of employees agree that having healthy and fresh snack options are a huge perk. The key word here is healthy. People need healthy foods like almonds, fruits, popcorn, and pretzels to refuel their energy. Help employees get over the afternoon slump by providing yummy and healthy snacks.
Encourage breaks
Employees should feel empowered to be able to take a step away from the job.
Studies show a correlation between employee engagement and lunch breaks. Nearly 20% of North American workers worry their bosses will think they’re slacking if they take regular lunch breaks, and 13% fear that coworkers will judge them. Help change the norm of working through lunch and encourage breaks. Whether it’s a full hour lunch break or a half hour off here and there, giving employees the space to step away and take a mental break is hugely beneficial.
Allow workplace flexibility
75% of employees ranked workplace flexibility as their most desired benefit.
Workplace flexibility can mean a lot of different things; in work hours, in location, or in tasks. Allow employees to ditch the office every once in a while and work from home or a location of their choice.
Plan team building activities
Don’t worry, there are adult team building activities that you and your employees will actually enjoy.
Whether you have a thrift store fashion show, host office jeopardy, or do an escape room, there are plenty of team building activities for anyone and everyone in your office. Allow your team to take a break from the average workday and do something fun.
Prioritize a Good Work and Life Balance
Encourage side hustles
Never let your employees lose their passion - it’s what drives themto be successful.
Hobbies can help employees be better at time management, boost their morale, and have more energy at work. Encouraging passion projects allow your employees to have a creative outlet and demonstrates that you support their interests outside of work, which can create a more uplifting company culture.
Recognize employees with experiences
Reward your employee with more than just a gift card.
Gift cards aren’t a thoughtful way to show employee appreciation. Let’s be real, most people with a generic gift card just buy average things like toilet paper. Toilet paper isn’t a good way to be appreciated. You don’t brag to your friends about the new toilet paper you got. You don’t get excited about getting toilet paper. Toilet paper doesn’t make you happy.
Experiences are different.
Let’s say your company rewarded you with tickets to a show on Broadway, you start to feel excited before you even do the experience. You even start associating the experience with the company who gave you the experience reward. From the anticipation before the experience to the afterglow after you’ve completed the experience, there’s a whole happiness cycle formed around experiences. This cycle sparks a unique sense of happiness with employees.
If experiential rewards spark your interest, consider Blueboard as an option. Our experiential employee gifts are a fantastic way for employees to increase happiness. Whether they choose to take a spunky salsa class, go on a local foodie tour, swing through to a trapeze class, or swim with manta rays, there’s an option for every employee. Request a Demo up top to connect with our team and learn more.
