Do a quick assessment of your work environment. Does it look like anyone is happy to be there? If not, you could have some serious issues to work out.
Researchers have discovered that happy employees are productive employees. Upping the happiness factor could be a very effective way of boosting your bottom line and becoming the office hero at the same time.
But how are you supposed to keep employees happy when they may secretly want to be in a million other places besides work? The answer lies in technology. The easier and more efficient you make the workday, the happier your employees will be. There are also indirect ways in which technology can play a role in keeping employees happy and productive.
Below we take a look at some of the most common workplace happiness killers and how tech can help your company avoid them.
Get People Paid on Time
There’s no quicker way to make employees disgruntled than pay delays. Fortunately, these issues can easily be overcome with Human Resource Information System (HRIS) software. HRIS allows you to electronically manage vital tasks like processing payroll and payments so that it’s basically on autopilot. Plus, the payroll department will love the ease of use and fewer complaints from co-workers.
Create a Positive Workplace Culture
Sometimes salary isn’t enough to recruit and retain top employees. That’s when small businesses can use workplace culture to increase happiness. Workplaces that are positive, encourage betterment and support employee well-being attract top-performers. Do your part by creating a workplace culture documentation that defines your company’s mission and values. Once that’s done, use the information to create a web page on your site that shares your corporate culture with the world.
Act on Employee Suggestions and Provide Feedback
Everyone likes being heard, and employees are no exception. If your workplace has a do-what-you’re-told-and-don’t-ask-questions atmosphere, it will stifle employee happiness along with creativity and innovation. You never know where the next big idea for your business will come from.
Encourage your employees to offer up their suggestions and they’ll be happy to do so. Here, again, HR software can help. A number of HR software solutions provide a platform for real-time feedback that go directly to managers. Just make sure to acknowledge that you received the suggestion and will consider it.
Support Employee Success
Sometimes it all comes down to the employees feeling like the company is investing in them and their success. Think about it: employees spend a fair amount of their waking hours away from their families supporting their boss’ dream. That’s a serious commitment. Employees want to feel like their employers are equally invested in improving their career as well.
Businesses that provide professional programs, mentorships and education reimbursement win big brownie points with employees. One way you can do this is by enrolling in online employee training programs that make gaining new skills easy and convenient. It’s also important to make sure that employees have what they need to succeed. This could mean investing in devices and programs that help them get their work done more efficiently so they have the bandwidth to learn new skills.
More Flexible Schedules
As the workplace becomes more mobile, some employees aren’t looking at flex schedules as a perk. Instead, they look at it as more of the norm in a workplace that makes happiness a priority.
There are countless studies that show, when managed correctly, flex schedules can improve employee satisfaction and productivity. Rather than strictly going off of hours spent in the office, you can implement a flex schedule program that emphasizes hitting specific deadlines or performance metrics. An online project management system gives you the ability to keep everyone on the team connected no matter where they’re working. It’s also important to invest in mobile applications like Yammer that make it easy to access information on the go.
Start by offering a flex schedule one day a week where employees can work from home using the system. This gives employees a little more control over their workweek so they can actually reduce the number of days people have to take off.
Keep Employees in the Know
Too often employees feel like outsiders. When there’s a disconnect between management and the rest of the workforce it can create unease and distrust rather than happiness.
It’s important to find ways to keep employees up to speed with what’s going on in the business. The more they know the more connected they’ll feel, which in turn makes them happier to be a part of the organization. Consider starting a corporate newsfeed, even if you’re a small business. You can create an employee newsletter that engages readers with MailChimp, SnapComms or a similar email communication program. Managers can also share important industry information and news mentions using RSS feeds.
Remember, sometimes internal public relations is just as important as external PR.
