Small Business Brief

Employees

5 Proven Ways to Ensure You Have Content and Happy Employees


The average employee stays at their current job around 3-5 years before looking for a new career opportunity. Employee turnover costs your company money.

Depending on the employee’s position, it could cost you anywhere from 50 to 200 percent of the employee’s average salary to replace him or her. What is one way you can encourage your employees to stay?

If your employees are not happy, they will find somewhere else to work that makes them happier. Here’s how to ensure you have content and happy employees.

1. Make Your Employees Feel Valued

It’s extremely important that your employees are encouraged and praised when they do something good. Be sure they know that you value them.

On the flip side, if someone makes a mistake, don’t punish them. Talk to the person and give them suggestions on how to make better choices. Be encouraging versus negative.

If someone doesn’t feel valued, they feel like they could easily go somewhere else. Punishing an employee may have more negative effects as it could make the employee angry.

Get to know your employees. Ask them about their family lives and ask them about their interests. You don’t have to necessarily be friends — just let them know you care.

2. Work/Life Balance Should Be A Priority

Work is extremely important, but to your employees, their lives and family are more important. Set up ways to improve your employee’s work/life balance. You should also push the understanding of pushing your employees to have a healthy lifestyle.

Ways to encourage work/life balance include:

  • Flex time
  • Telecommuting
  • Lead by example
  • Promote health initiatives like gym memberships

You can be creative here. You have to do what makes sense for your business and your employees.

3. Offer More Perks

You can offer fun perks that don’t break the bank. You could offer incentives for accomplishing goals or just make them a part of your culture.

Simple things like casual Fridays, free meals, bring your dog to work, time off for community service, fun office events, or tickets to sporting events or concerts could bring a lot of employee enjoyment.

4. Make Their Jobs Easier

If there is some technology that makes an employee’s job easier, embrace it! Technology creates a more innovative and productive workplace. You can even find apps to make daily tasks easier like a punch clock app to manage time and attendance.

Be sure you have open and clear communication with your employees. Ask your employees for feedback and see if there is something out there that would make their jobs easier. Show that you are open to change.

5. Offer Career Path Training

Your employees want to know about future opportunities in your company. Offer training and opportunities to create career paths. 

It’s vital you have regular career-planning meetings with employees. Find out what their goals are, and make these goals work for you and your company. You can help them meet these goals with training, education, and mentoring.

The Key to Happy Employees

If your employees feel they are valuable, they will be more productive. Happy employees are more productive. Remember to always tell your employees a simple “thank you” because it can go a long way.

Check out our site for other advice for your business and employees. Find articles like the benefits of an executive coach.



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