Hint: it’s not a ping-pong table or free beer
You don’t need to throw wild quarterly parties, offer free gym memberships, or feed your employees to keep them happy. Well, alright – those things certainly wouldn’t work against your employee’s satisfaction, but showy gestures aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. There are a number of ways you can be sure your teams are taken care of, motivated, and content in their position.
Engage your employees on a personal level
It’s a fine line getting to know your employees as workers and as people outside of the work place. Striking a balance between these two can go a long way when it comes to employee happiness and engagement.
During office hours everyone intends to focus primarily on their work, but friendly chats about hobbies and home life can foster a personal understanding and connection that demonstrates the importance of an employee on an individual level.
Keep employees in the loop
Employees like to know what’s happening with a company. It’s easy to feel shut out and disconnected if you’re not keeping your employees up to date on the company milestones or goals.
Sharing any policy changes, growth, or setting up timely check ins, even from departments that employees aren’t typically connecting with, can create a trusting environment.
Challenge your team
No one wants to tend to the same task list day after day. Even the most specialized employees can benefit a change of scenery now and then.
Expand your employees skill set by with engaging them about what they’d like to learn, and where they would like to grow.
Give them a project outside the range of their normal duties, or have them touch base with other leaders on the job. They will enjoy both the trust you’ve instilled in them and the chance to grow.
Timely reviews
While a pay increase never hurts, employees also like to know how they’re doing, where they can improve, and also give feedback about their experiences.
Making sure that you’re sticking to a review schedule. Even the smallest teams can ensure that hard work is recognized and praised.
Consistent leadership
There are few things more frustrating than inconsistent leadership. Everyone knows to lead by example, but to lead with consistency is not as widespread a concept. If an organization is well run, there’s an element of consistency in everything you do. Hold everyone to the same set of standards, make sure you’re giving employees a fair chance to have their voices heard, and treat everyone as equally important. Being open to taking feedback as a leader shows employees that their insights matter.
