Employee happiness is an often overlooked business element. You go the extra mile to make sure your customers have a great experience when they’re with you, but do you put the same time and attention into your team? It’s something a lot of small business owners can leave off the list when they’re trying to establish and grow their brand.
But no more! Employee happiness should be a priority. It reduces turnover, helps you to grow faster, and brings in new talent that you would never have had access to otherwise. Indeed, when you’re a great place to work, word is going to get around!
And because of all those benefits, we’ve made a list of the most simple yet effective changes a small business owner can make to increase employee happiness.
Let Them Work From Home
You don’t have to adopt a total remote working policy, but if you have employees who only come into work to complete admin tasks, why not let them do so from home once a week, perhaps, like letting them have every Friday to themselves?
With a more flexible working arrangement like this, your employees are likely to stay longer, achieve a better work/life balance, and see little advantage in going elsewhere.
After all, they’ve found an employer who’s willing to put their well-being first, and sometimes that just means letting them stay at home.
Put a Coffee Machine in the Break Room
A commercial coffee machine, capable of pouring out ready-made coffees with just a few touches of a button, can dramatically increase the general happiness of your staff.
No longer do they need to keep a kettle filled, wait for it to boil, check how much coffee is left in the jar, change filters, etc., and spend the precious minutes of their break time going through the motions. Instead, you can make getting a drink simple and easy, especially first thing in the morning before their shift starts!
A machine like this in the break room can cut down on things like waste and clean up too – although of course, you will need to service the coffee machine from time to time.
Allow Bonuses
Giving an employee a bonus is usually a sign of work very well done. This tends to come in the form of a bit more money in their payslip every so often, or at the end of the year. And this is a greatly motivating tool, no matter the industry you’re in.
When you tell your team that there’s more money to go around, but achieving it will require hard work and dedication, they’re going to put that time in. Following through on your word will only reinforce this behaviour, especially if the incentives grow at a steady pace.
Small business owners will always benefit from a happy and dedicated team. As such, focus on making simple changes like these, to encourage the best from your staff.
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