We all know that happy employees are productive employees and they bring a lot more to the culture of the organization and in a way, this impacts the bottom-line of a company. Whilst there may be no concocted formula for a ‘happy workplace’, a few simple things can make a difference. Creating a happy workplace is always a continuous and collective process and therefore it is important that it becomes a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for everyone in the organization.
Clarify of Job roles
When you know what you have to do, you can do it better. Organizations often witness a mismatch between the performance expectations of employees and their line managers. Not only is it essential to have clarity of a role but to have clarity of tasks that have to be delivered within the role.
Recognition & Empowerment
Rewarding an employee for performance is a powerful motivator. Invest in a culture of recognizing performance, accountability and collaboration. Rewards can be monetary as well as non-monetary; something as simple as rewarding a couple of movies tickets. Small gestures are priceless. Adopt ‘Gamification’ to induce healthy competition among individuals and teams.
Path of growth
We all want to know the ‘what next’ for us. A career path should be outlined and clearly communicated to individuals. Feedback on performance doesn’t necessarily have to be shared during the half yearly or yearly appraisals. Review conversations can happen as and when.
Open up as many communication channels as possible.
The informal ones work the best. One-to-one communication is always the most significant way of interacting, however all avenues used by an organization namely the employee portal, WhatsApp, town hall meets, Yammer must work in cohesion.
Participate in making a difference
If giving back to society is a shared value between the organization and the employee, then co-participation is always a motivation for such employees. This imbibes a sense of purpose for them.
An open office encourages open communication
Break the walls that obstruct individuals from having conversations. Today, offices are designed as open spaces that function as social workspaces. Flexibility to work within the confinement of the office space is likely generate a positive approach towards work.
Learning and development
Employees seek opportunities to upskill themselves and organizations must play an active role in upgrading their skills by designing individual development plans. Better skilled employees have a direct relationship with the profitability of a company.
Employee Satisfaction captured in surveys
Many organizations have a good practice of conducting satisfaction surveys at least once a year. These surveys can capture the degree of happiness in an organization and provides insights to improve the culture of the organization.
Hiring employees with a positive attitude towards work and life always benefits. Remember, Happiness can be contagious.
Source: StartUp terminal.International Day of Happiness 2018
