You have a great company, a great culture and the perfect pool of employees but you are worried about losing the employees to other companies. Every company knows that the best way to entice and retain your employees is to ensure team happiness.
A great manager utilises different tactics to keep employees happy and motivated, and the level of team happiness high. When employees have a relaxed and stress-free time at work, they are going to be more productive in general. Management may not realise that by simply offering a pay raise would not make the company’s best workers stick around, and it is important to avoid showing favouritism and always be aware of your lowest-performing employees.
“A productive employee who is kept busy working at his or her job is far more likely to be happy at that job and less likely to look for employment elsewhere.”
– Zig Ziglar
What management could do is take their employees to SPACE!
SPACE is the abbreviation for the main areas that management have to focus on in keeping employees happy and productive and it stands for; Support, Package, Advancement, Co-workers and Education.
Here are the explanations of the five main areas;
Support
People want to work in a positive and supportive atmosphere, where team happiness is a focus. Management has to set the tone by communicating well and being available to support problem solving. Give moral support to employees regardless if it is personal or work related. It is not enough to merely assist employees with work issues.
A great leader should keep her eyes open for ways to help out with personal issues as well. When an employee recognises that management would do anything in their power to assist, it creates a sense of loyalty which is hard to break and is invaluable in a work relationship.
Package
Yes, salary matters, however not all companies have the luxury of offering a pay raise to all of their employees. However, what management could do is provide compensation packages instead. Compensation packages are a big deal when employees are hired, but once a deal has been struck the source of motivation tends to shift.
When employees realise that there is promise to a boost is their bank account, they tend to work harder and be more productive. Another factor to look into are the perks involved. Some companies offer extravagant perks to their employees; shuttle buses or towncars, free massage therapy, free chef made lunches, childcare facilities.
But like money, these things tend to be a less powerful motivators for employees than the challenges they faced at their job. It is the feeling of being a valuable part of a quality team that will recognise their contribution. Management needs to understand that even though those perks are great, they are not a substitute for main sources of inspiration at work. It just makes it easier for employees to look forward to work every morning.
Advancement
Another point to consider with team happiness, is for leaders to look into the career advancement for the employee. Career development is important to when it comes to increasing employee engagement. When management gets employee engaged at work in a positive manner, employee tends to work harder in achieving better results.
Many employees do advance in their careers through loyalty and hard work. It is only human nature to have a habit of working harder when they realise there would be some sort of career advancement after a year or even a couple of months.
“Imagine choosing a job not on money or even on career advancement, but as part of a life worth living.”
– Dale Dauten
Co-workers
There are employees who would leave their job not because of the stress they get at their job, but due to their colleagues who are either negative or just plainly not pleasant to work with. Creating a positive workplace is often considered expensive, time consuming, and a drain on company funds.
It does not necessarily have to be. When a company gets involve in a routine employee engagement activities, employees tend to be more proactive and this teaches them to work as a team as well as learning about their colleagues.
A positive workplace begins with management and should lead by example. Besides hiring the right people for the job, management should avoid negative work attitudes and work on how to communicate with employees effectively. Instead of blaming and gossiping, focus on the good qualities of your employees. A positive attitude in the workplace will create more productive among the workplace.
Education
Employees would feel appreciative when management are interested in their qualifications or are finding ways to better their employees. Management should encourage or allow employees to go or training or take up courses that could improve their knowledge. Gaining additional education would allow employees to stay informed in their field, as well as giving them the tools they need to accomplish better in their jobs.
When it comes to educational advancement, management need to remember that by helping employees grow, it would ultimately help the company progress better. Engaging in these types of programs ultimately is a win-win for all parties involved, and helps foster team happiness.
In Summary
There are other minor points what could affect employees’ happiness and their productivity at work but overall, what management have to keep reminding themselves that the more they give to their employees, the more the company will get back. Look out for tips on how to find happiness at work on our past blog. The 5 main points once again are;
S – Support
P – Package
A – Advancement
C – Co-workers
E – Education
Armed with SPACE, it could lead your company to enjoying an increase in team happiness, creating a more positive work environment.
