A Better Answer Blog

Your employees’ psychological well-being can be affected by their personal lives and also their time at work. Work relationships can either hinder the quality of life for those that work for/with you or bring value to them. Believe it or not, the quality of a person’s workplace can contribute to overall happiness or illness in an employee.

How can you make the workplace bring value to a person’s life?
Measure Company Culture

Regular employee surveys go a long way in ensuring a positive experience for employees in the workplace. Asking a few simple questions helps open up a conversation. Here are some examples of statements to measure happiness and overall job satisfaction with your employees:

• I believe the company has a higher purpose beyond just profits.
• My role at your company has a real purpose – it’s more than just a job.
• I feel I am in control of my career path and I am progressing in my personal and professional development at your company.
• I consider my co-workers to be like family and friends.
• I am very happy at my job.

Make Happy Spaces

Creating a place for employees to have quiet or downtime is especially essential for a happy workplace. If you can incorporate education in that space, such as creating a library, adds even more value. Offer a break room with places to congregate and get to know each other better. Help nurture employee relationships by offering snacks and company gatherings. Create a soothing place for conversations during downtime.

Maintain Good Health

Healthy employees are happy employees. Many larger companies are incorporating wellness and fitness programs into their benefits because of this. For instance, Johnson & Johnson made efforts to:

• Reduce smoking/tobacco use
• Reduce high blood pressure (below 140/90)
• Reduce high cholesterol (below 240 total)
• Increase physical activity (at least 30 minutes/3 times per week)

By focusing on these key things, the results were remarkable.

• Rate of heart disease is 41% below national average
• High blood pressure is 75% below national average
• Employees are more active than the national average
• Less employees are using tobacco

These numbers continue to get better year after year. Retain happy employees by showing that you care about them as human beings.

Share Everything

Transparency is more important than ever in today’s company culture – especially in small businesses. You want employees to feel invested in your company, share with them. Share the good. Share the bad. Allow them to share with you. Building a good team involves honesty and communication.

Continuously Improve Company Culture & Core Values

Setting guidelines and rules for company culture can affect employee happiness as well. Dress codes, rules for communication, and other facets of company culture can greatly affect an employee’s attitude at work.

Establishing core values is an important part of every company culture. Some core values to consider are:

• Speak honestly.
• Work together to solve a problem.
• Take pride in your work.
• Always leave room for improvement.
• Treat others with respect.
• Be open to learning more, always.
• Approach others with understanding.
• Be compassionate – with yourself and others.

The Bottom Line - Motivate

Here are 9 ways to motivate with more than just money:

1. Be generous with praise.
2. Get rid of the managers.
3. Make everyone a leader.
4. Make your ideas theirs.
5. Use positive correction instead of criticism.
6. Take an employee to lunch every week.
7. Give recognition and small rewards.
8. Throw company parties.
9. Share the rewards… and the pain.

If your employees feel that they play an integral role at your organization and if they feel that they are valued as human beings, employee happiness and morale will naturally increase. Increased morale and a great attitude helps retain your best, most caring employees. The results are ten-fold as these happy employees represent your company to your clients and help retain your business as well.