5 Ways to Make Your Employees Happier (and More Productive)

A happy employee is a productive employee. At least that’s the prevailing wisdom. Even without the added benefit of added work per hour, it’s always a good policy to make an effort to keep staff in positive spirits on the clock. Yes, it’s not called “work” because it’s meant to be fun, but a little goes a long way in terms of helping employees to feel happier on the job – and do a better job as a result.

Don’t believe it? Can’t be done? Here are five ways to make your employees happy and productive which can be put into action as soon as possible:

Streamline your systems

It’s hard for employees to stay cheerful if they’re being worn down by inefficiencies. Customer service agents working without contact center software, for example, are going to be less cheerful and positive on call. It’s not their fault; 85 hand-dialed follow-up phone calls leading to voicemail and hang-ups leaves you rusty and caught off guard when someone actually answers. Smoother operations mean employees are more likely to stay on their feet, whether literally or not, and this, of course, equates to greater productivity over time.

Improve the workspace

Certain colors and arrangements encourage positive and productive thought. Similar to improving the look of an office for optimal visitor experience, business leaders will find boosted productivity by making adjustments to the workspace. Whether it’s positioning desks to better take advantage of natural lighting, choosing a motivating paint color for the walls, or even making the office smell nicer, relatively small measures such as these have been shown to make staff happier and work better.

Compliment good work

A few kind words go a long way. Everyone knows it feels good to be told you’re on the right track. When staff is stellar, make a point to let them know you know. Sometimes people take these compliments awkwardly, in which case don’t take it the wrong way yourself; “deer in the headlights” reactions to positive reinforcement are normal among more introverted types. It’s undoubted the message got through successfully.

Reward them fairly

A fruit basket is not adequate when, for example, a manager’s mistakes required staff on salary to work an extra 15 hours in a week. If staff deserves a little something extra, the extra ought to reflect appreciation, not simply convey procedural gift giving. It’s not the price tag at issue here, merely the weight of the gesture versus that of the extra blood, sweat, and tears shed for the company.

Treat them fairly

Favoritism, to some degree, is unavoidable, but it’s imperative for business leaders to apply rules and rewards evenly. Knowing justice is blind, even in the workplace, empowers staff to work comfortably and confidently. This, in turn, amps up happiness, and what comes after happiness? You guessed it: productivity.

Business leaders ought to always be considering the happiness of their employees. Not only is it simply the right thing to do, it makes for more productive workers more times than not. In short, happiness in the workplace is good for everyone.