image sourceNo business will thrive in a toxic environment. Entrepreneurs and managers want their team to be happy to be at their best, as a miserable employee may as well not be there at all. Bad working environments are one of the biggest causes of Presenteeism; everyone is there, but they are not really there. So, it’s important to know how to make sure your team starts and finishes the day feeling their best.
How can a company ensure employee satisfaction, though? Vapid team-building exercises and financial incentives are not as effective as they once were, but there are other approaches you can consider to ensure everyone is satisfied.
Learn What You’re Doing Wrong
In a toxic, or even simply a poor working environment, the reasons for this often go back to the manager. Even if you think you’re doing a good job, there’s a chance that your motivational speeches are missing the mark considerably.
The only way you’ll change this for the better is to find out what you’re doing wrong. This can create an awkward scenario, so an anonymous employee survey is the best way to get honest feedback. Encourage employees to air any grievances and take suggestions on board. From there, you can make changes that will impact the workplace positively.
Give Your Team the Chance to Progress
Most employees will not want to stay in the same position forever. They will have their eyes on bigger things, but feeling stuck in a dead-end job will sap motivation and cause significant dissatisfaction.
Allowing them the chance to progress, whether through the company or by giving them the tools to learn and succeed elsewhere is a superb way to motivate them. While there are often not enough senior vacancies for the talent you have at your disposal, you can still help them learn while on the job. This forces them to push themselves and impress you or another company.
Challenge Them and Trust Them
People like to be challenged, and this won’t happen if they do the same thing all day, every day. Giving them new projects that demand more of them will keep them engaged and make them happy with their work/. They may complain about difficult projects at first, but the satisfaction they get from completing them – and completing them well – will benefit them.
To make this possible, you must trust them. Too many business owners will micro-manage their team, stifling creativity and making them scared to make a mistake. If this sounds familiar, you need to take a step back.
Create a Culture of Communication
A workplace where no one knows what they are doing is never going to succeed, and a talented manager should strive to improve team communication across the board if they want to improve employee satisfaction. Too many managers will avoid telling the whole story, thus keeping their team in the dark, and this can make them feel like they are not part of the company at all.
Transparency and honesty are two essential elements of ensuring a culture of communication, but you can also look at it fundamentally. Implementing programs that allow for straightforward communication no matter where anyone is can speed up projects and processes.
Encourage Good Health
The emphasis on the work-life balance is more significant than ever, but this will vary depending on the type of business you run. Allowing your team to work from home will give them the chance to maintain a healthy exercise routine without feeling exhausted at the end of the day. If you need your dream in the office, you look at other options.
Promoting exercise at work is nothing new, but it is becoming more common in the modern work culture. Allowing your team to take half an hour for a run or a quick workout will improve their mood and bring them back to their desk feeling refreshed and energized.
Reward Them
It’s no secret that employees need recognition for their achievements, but financial rewards are not as desired by the current generation of workers.
Instead, consider ideas that prevent burn-out such as days off, or even reduce financial stress with vouchers to restaurants or days out. Making these rewards a monthly occurrence will give them something to work towards and can create some healthy competition within the office.
A Positive Environment
A positive work environment is one of the cornerstones of a successful business. Managers who can recognize what needs to change to boost morale and satisfaction can turn problems around and steady the ship to ensure a future of success that everyone will benefit from.
