Happy employees are productive employees. This is a concept that is incredibly important to remember for any entrepreneur, manager or business owner. A recent study showed that 73% of all working adults in Canada aged 20 to 64 report at least some level of stress. Even more alarming is that one in four will go on to leave their job due to the stress and unhappiness they feel at work (Crompton, Statistics Canada, 2015).
In 1995 Employee Appreciation Day was created to bring awareness to the hard work exhibited by employees, and to remind superiors to take care of their team and recognize contributions. There are numerous reasons why it is important to prioritize employee satisfaction in the workplace ranging from psychological to financial. “A decade of research proves that happiness raises nearly every business and educational outcome: raising sales by 37%, productivity by 31%, and accuracy on tasks by 19%, as well as a myriad of health and quality of life improvements” (Achor, Harvard Business Review, 2011). When employees feel respected and valued in the workplace, they feel passionate and invigorated about their work which directly affects their overall contribution to the business. On a psychological level when you are set to spend 30% of your entire life at work, making it a little more fun is essential. These statistics command the attention of entrepreneurs and small business owners to analyze their offices and see how they can create an atmosphere of positivity, appreciation and calm.
Now here comes the fun part, what can you do to make your employees happier? First of all, it is important to understand your employees, as each person will be motivated by different factors.
Why not reward them with time?
Allowing employees to pick their hours or work from home can be an instrumental benefit in a working parent’s life. If your team members travel a long distance to work would they benefit from an earlier start or finish time to beat peak hour traffic?
You could reward your employees with trust by allowing them to work remotely whilst travelling, or even virtually in a different city of their choice.
Hosting internal events or spoiling your employees with a catered lunch is an easy way to show your appreciation and build comradery in your team. With national ice-cream day on the horizon why not shout your team to a sweet treat this afternoon, encourage the team to take their treats outside and enjoy the sunshine?
Positive feedback and praise are always well received. This can be communicated internally for small wins or even publicly on social media channels for milestone achievements.
Last but not least why not reward your employees financially! Everyone loves a little extra cash whether it’s in the form of a well-deserved bonus after closing a big sale or a pay rise after taking on extra responsibility in a more senior position.
There are so many ways entrepreneurs and business owners can show their appreciation to the employees in their team. This is certainly one area of the job where you can be creative and fill your office with a little more fun!
Thinking of showing your employees your appreciation by moving a gorgeous, new office space? We have rental offices available in the heart of downtown Vancouver that your team will love! Contact us today to make your team happy and boost your productivity.
