Great employees can be hard to find. You might search for years for the perfect secretary, accountant, builder or plasterer only to find that they aren’t happy working for you and they leave.
The last thing you want is unhappy employees because that never ends well.
According to a recent study there is evidence to say that happy employers are more productive than unhappy ones, which really does make sense. If the people that work for you are unhappy then they won’t want to prove their worth, do their best and exceed expectations.
So before you are sat in your office or on your construction site with a whole lot of work to do and not a lot of staff, here are a few ways you can keep your employees happy at work:
Have a Break Out/Lunch Area
If you work in an office environment then having somewhere for your employees to go to have their lunch is great. This gets them away from their desks and their computer screens which gives them a chance to chat to other people and take a break from work.
In places like construction sites or building sites you can contact companies that do welfare unit hire. This means you can provide your staff with areas that have seats, kitchens, toilets and comfortable seating so that they don’t have to spend their lunch break sat outside.
This lets them know that you care about their wellbeing and gives everyone a get a chance to know each other.
Be Transparent
In certain situations you can’t always tell your staff exactly what is going on but there are times when being able to be honest and transparent with your staff is a great way to be.
This means they will trust you, and know that if anything goes wrong or right they will be kept in the loop. This can help create great relationships and make your employees want to stay working for you for longer.
Sit down with your staff, go through the progress report, talk about what needs to be improved and then understand where you as an employer can help out.
Organise a Team Building Activity
When work is hectic and everyone is stressed, work relationships can be strained. One of the best ways to keep your employees happy and wanting to work for you is to organise an activity out of the office or the building site. Whether that is a drink in the pub, a lunch date or a weekend retreat for team building, all these activities can really help the business to grow.
Organise Appraisals
Not only are appraisals normally a part of everyone contracts, they are also a great way for you to get to know your staff and their goals. Obviously, if you are strapped for time then these don’t have to last all day. However, taking five minutes out of the year to talk to each staff member really can benefit them. This means you can set goals with them and see how far they can go.
Take the time to get to know your staff, organise some days out, find them a place to spend their breaks and keep your employees happy.
