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It costs far more to replace an employee than it does to retain them. In order to keep them wanting to stay with your company, you must provide a workplace that they enjoy. Your business success depends on keeping your employees happy and motivated. After all, they are not robots that are only there to serve the bottom line. They are real people with real lives and they devote a huge portion of their time to your company.
It isn’t enough to just give your employees the perfect gift for Christmas. You must also maintain a positive work experience during the year to make sure they are content and motivated to do their job. Low employee morale is a business killer. Production drops when morale is low. In addition, employee turnover makes it hard to maintain consistency.
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So, what to do? Increase your business’ success through satisfied employees with the following tips.
Pay Employees on Time
The surest way to kill morale in your office is to pay your employees late or make mistakes in their paycheck. Use an employee time tracking app to make sure that their check is always correct. Follow that up with attentiveness and reliability that your employees are paid on time. This one practice is a huge part of your effort to keep employees happy and motivated.
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Set Clear Expectations
Everybody wants to know exactly what their job is. When there are no clear boundaries between what one employee and another do, resentment builds. The most common result of unclear boundaries is that one employee takes on too much while another is perceived as taking on too little. This creates resentment and substantially lowers morale.
Take time to establish a clear set of expectations and responsibilities for each employee. If and when the time arises that they have to take on extra work, their sacrifice is acknowledged. Express thanks for hard work and dedication. As soon as possible, take the extra load away from the employee and return their job expectations to normal. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure they get a little extra bonus at the end of the year.
Encourage Breaks to Keep Employees Happy and Motivated
Burnout is very real. It can lead to health issues, low morale, and feelings of dissatisfaction. If you believe your company has been asking a lot of the employees for a while, encourage them to take time off. Consider offering a long lunch for the week, a long weekend by taking a Friday off, or encourage them to use their vacation time.
Whatever you think will help them unwind and recharge will be appreciated. However, make sure to record their vacation time. Using time off management software will save you time and simplify the process.
Happy Employees Prioritize Work/Life Balance
Your employees are key to your business success. Therefore, their work must be at its most productive. This only happens when your employees experience well-being in the office and in their life. You can avoid burning your employees out by making sure that they are able to have a life outside of work. Limit instances of calling them in on weekends or keeping them from their family at night. Their ability to enjoy the life your employment provides will keep them working for you.
Celebrate Milestones
When somebody closes a big deal or finishes a project ahead of schedule, make sure you celebrate their accomplishment. Let the employee know personally how much you appreciate their hard work. In addition, make sure the office knows and encourage others to congratulate them on their milestone. The team-effort creates truly happy employees!
Additionally, celebrate longevity milestones and positive feedback accomplishments from customers. People want to know you recognize their loyalty. Show them that you are paying attention to their hard work and see the results.
Offer a Flexible Schedule
The need for 40-hours-per-week face time is becoming a thing of the past. In past years, supervisors required employees to be in the office, checking in (or clocking in) and out each day. Unfortunately, whether an employee was maximumly productive during that time didn’t matter.
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Now, people are more focused on productivity and results. If an employee can come in later or leave earlier than the traditional 9 to 5 (which has really become 8 to 6), and still get results, then let it happen. You can also offer some employees the opportunity to work from home a day or two per week. Not having to commute helps increase productivity and helps relieve the pressure from your employee’s day.
Today’s employers must be concerned with keeping employees happy and motivated. The generations entering the workforce expect a level of satisfaction in their work. Use these principles to ensure that your company is known for a workplace that supports and cares about your employees.