How to Foster a Happy Workforce

A happy workforce is a productive one. It would take a truly miserable manager to not want his workforce to be happy. Yet, when you look at the typical office, you sometimes wonder if part of the deal of working within such an office is that you must not get any enjoyment from your job. The danger of having an unhappy employee is that they will care a lot less about the quality and quantity of their work - basically, they will do the bare minimum not to get fired. There's a resentment in such a person as they are stuck in a job they dislike and so they feel like they owe as little as possible to the company that's hiring them. So, how do we turn such an employee around so that they can see their job in a much more positive light? Here are some suggestions:-

Get HR to invite comments from employees
Feedback from employees is absolutely vital to creating a happier workforce. This kind of feedback MUST be completely open, and employees must not be fearful of leaving negative comments about their job. An open dialogue can identify painpoints in their daily work routines, and help establish a more enjoyable, challenging and productive routine for the employee.

Review working hours, reward productivity
The whole point of office work is to complete particular tasks. There's no point in turning up 9 to 5 just for the sake of turning up and sitting at a desk. Reward productive staff with bonuses and/or time off work. That's right, give them extra time off. At the end of the day, if they can do the same amount of work in less time, do you think they will be happy if you pat them on the head and say "attaboy" and give them MORE work? NO, they will feel like they've been punished for being efficient. Give them time off - and other employees will see that the office is a place of pure productivity. Get the job done, get some extra time off.

Review office attire
Do the office workers REALLY need to wear suits/dresses? If the office is not customer-facing, then consider a more relaxed dress code. Workers will feel more comfortable and it will create a warmer atmosphere.

Have zero tolerance for office politics

Article kindly provided by traksolutions.co.uk